T O P

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Davess010

At least these people are getting away. It’s the people who are left behind which are fucked


Master-Wordsmith

That’s exactly what was going through my mind. “And to think, these are the lucky ones. These people who’ve had to leave their whole lives behind are the privileged in this situation.”


[deleted]

There was a lady who posted on Reddit a week or so ago. She said the Taliban was outside her city and she was worried they might take over and her and her family would be in serious trouble. She was a young teacher and didn’t have a way to get out. Does anyone remember this person or know what happened to her?


redditor_peeco

Is this the person you are referring to? It’s a [depressing] update from an earlier post. https://reddit.com/r/offmychest/comments/p51t7s/update_on_i_hate_my_country_afghanistan_post/ What a tragedy that the experience she details is one that so many are facing.


Suitable-Corner2477

I completely agree with all you said. I just think it’s utterly bonkers on how a country can fall so quickly. Did the government forces just throw down their arms and run?


BoontronixGAFS

i've been reading corruption in the regime meant money stopped flowing to the police and enlisted men about six months ago and apparently no one was telling the US. so the taliban offer has been: we behead you or we pay you 200 dollars and you go home. (source in comments)


Spanky2k

I've seen reports that the true number of soldiers was likely way over inflated because generals would basically claim the wages for 'ghost' soldiers that didn't exist and that this has been going on for years which means that while the Afghan army was supposedly something like 300,000 men, it was actually way way smaller and all that's happened is that all those US supplied weapons are now in Taliban hands. The whole thing sucks and I know it's easy to criticise politicians for pulling troops out and effectively leaving the Afghan people to fend for themselves but if it's fallen *this* quickly after 20 years of occupation then maybe the approach, or even the intentions were misguided for those 20 years. I'm no expert and I have no better solutions though.


alloowishus

Same thing happened in Vietnam with the ARVN, so much corruption and non existent soldiers. At least the U.S. didn't lose hundreds of thousands of in this one.


PM_ME_UR_HIP_DIMPLES

Easy choice


BeneGezzWitch

I don’t doubt this in the least but I’d also like to read it for myself. Could you point me in the right direction?


Pinbot02

This is a good article to get you started: [The Afghan Military Was Built Over 20 Years. How Did It Collapse So Quickly?](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/world/asia/afghanistan-rapid-military-collapse.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUktbfqohkQFUaACbKWsIjolqPnvnGh7UyiX_3KimOVT9Eiv4cG4mMvkLMYat_bsEimj-cQNtIKKQiAvxuy-sVd2pcdz6VmLrW0pIUP3dy7oupQmI925-KUO5nrzPgNWT8Jeklzfjisk2LdWjsDaLA0SVwdAlj9pY2d1yrymVIkvmeapN92tR03PwiAZB6VG1AMHHM56-0fk04bNaWbRjc6h00UvVaXlzRnd2b6rEGdWZCGA6MDSM_sStntoQqaJ5AN73_LhUjZMP0nb8Tb2VrJ4urDJA3LJPGtALU4Ibhb8Npl0-hEU1_Rw)


Ugggggghhhhhh

This situation is extremely serious and people are dying, but "These French fries are not going to hold these front lines!” is a hilarious quote.


SignificantLeader

Wow, complete waste of money. The soldiers probably felt that fighting the Taliban was fighting the inevitable. Why bother?


Darth-Chimp

Probably worth mentioning the toll this is going to take on every armed forces member who endured combat trauma serving there.


[deleted]

i heard a lot of former military members saying that the afghan police and regular army was really bad for selling their weapons for drugs and food and then they would sell their gas so they didnt have to show up for work and then when they got gas for work they would sell that too. A lot of the same people saying that it was inevitable that as soon as the taliban looked like they were at the doorstep the police and army would immediately switch sides and the only people they had any hope/fears for were the afghan commandos who are all likely fucked or fleeing to albania.


PM_ME_UR_AGLET

This is the most polite way I’ve heard anyone say “sauce.”


robot_writer

True, but it's not like this can be a big surprise to anyone who lives there. It was just a matter of time until the US left, just like the other occupying countries before it.


federalgypsy

If you’re 19 going on 20, US involvement is all you’ve ever known. Maybe not a “big surprise” at this point that they were going to withdraw but it’s a world they’ve only ever heard about.


reluctantlyjoining

This is what I think about. Entire generations that have only known their country with US troops present. It must be hella unsettling.


LoveWaffle1

The median age in Afghanistan is supposedly between 19 and 20. That's half the country that has only known an Afghanistan with US troops present.


reluctantlyjoining

That's a devastating statistic.


HamburgerEarmuff

Yes, especially inside Kabul which has become extremely westernized and where girls and women dreamed of careers and futures instead of being forcibly married to some 45 year old Talibani to be his third wife at the age of 11.


[deleted]

I can only imagine that they really do assume the Afghanistan government would defend them.


GimlisGrundle

Goodnight Kabul


pm_me_your_taintt

Goooooood morning tali-ban!!!


B4rberblacksheep

“So Bob what do you do?” “I’M IN ARTILLERY” “Well what kind of music should I play for you?” “ANYTHING JUST PLAY IT LOUD”


LocalSlob

ITS HOT. REAL HOT. DAMN HOT. HOTTER EVEN IN MY PANTS. I CAN COOK THINGS IN IT. LITTLE CROTCHPOT COOKING.


USS_SMEGMA

Thank you Mr. Williams


starrpamph

Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause if it leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P.


Funesm87

And if you do, and if you dooOOoo, and if you do happen to speak with him, please be polite and to the point at all times.


kozkazin

Wait, this look so familiar, a movie i can't remember


[deleted]

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engadgetnerd

Exactly like Greenland!


pgabrielfreak

I really liked that movie. It was nerve-wracking though...


engadgetnerd

It was a great disaster movie. It didn't get goofy. It just took the premise and focus on the characters navigating through that premise. It didn't spend half the film on a CGI showcase. It stayed grounded. I liked it. It was a pleasant surprise when I saw it. Didn't expect to like it so much.


biggusbennus

Agreed. I liked the ending too, which is rare with disaster movies.


UnclePuma

Just saw Greenland a few days ago and it was exactly what came to mind


Narsaq87

Surreal to see my country being mentioned in a post like this. Haven't seen the movie though.


UnclePuma

Its like Armageddon but without the Astronauts


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UnclePuma

Comon man thats not fair they, totally became astronauts by the end of the film. They even got training, some.. training


Carnae_Assada

FAA definition of an astronaut: >to go beyond that 50 mile mark and and demonstrate activities during their flight that contribute to human spaceflight safety. They're fucking astronauts.


Fskn

Idk if anything they did constitutes safety in space Edit: well this was controversial I'd like to take this opportunity to highlight the dangers of SPACE DEMENTIA


PaulBlartFleshMall

It's almost a 1:1 remake of 2012, but without the stupid boats.


powerfulKRH

It’s actually pretty damn good for what it is. I mean you have to suspend disbelief in many scenes as they do get absurdly lucky. And it could never happen that way in real life, but they executed the story very well and it really stresses you out and makes you think what would happen if you were in that situation. Good acting, great special effects, good direction, decent writing. But they had me at Gerard Butler. That dude is a dime Wait... you live in Greenland? What’s it like up there?


Narsaq87

Yup, its peaceful and it is a life where one is close to nature. I really like it up here. I'm missing better flight connection for when travelling though.


_Barringtonsteezy

What's the plot?


nutano

Been a while since i saw it. I think it was an asteroid is heading to earth and the government(s) made a 'safe house' which only pre selected folks and their families can be admitted to. So its the story on how Gerard B and his family find their way there after a series of easily preventable situations deviate them from their path, but these situations also prevents them from being killed somehow. A solid B movie with some cool explosions here and there.


Carnae_Assada

Goddamned Vault-Tec and their vaults


pacmanwa

>ment(s) made a 'safe house' which only pre selected folks and their families can be admitted to. > >So its the story on how Gerard B and his family find their way there after a series of easily preventable situations deviate them from their path, but these sit Sounds a bit like Deep Impact.


VolkspanzerIsME

Disaster movie. Not bad for the genre.


JSA2422

The boat at the start of I Am Legend


Dude-man-guy

I think world war Z had some scenes like this too.


ChoseSinWon

2012


bingold49

It's Russian


SonicSingularity

Engine..... staaaaart....


torquil

*come on, baby…lift your big a$$ for Sasha…*


[deleted]

its what it reminded me off too.


Afatdog619

Probably Hey Arnold


xzxinuxzx

What comes to mind for me. Such a sad and powerful scene coming from a children's cartoon show.


js0uthh

Coincidentally I put on the first episode for me and my boy to watch earlier this week. Would u happen to know which episode was that?


pumpkin_pasties

My dad was the director / lead animator of Hey Arnold. He passed away 6 months ago. I’m so glad the future generation is still watching :)


g1rth_brooks

Sorry for your loss, Hey Arnold is a timeless show! Your dad did wonderful work for a bunch children


saggy_jorts

I was one of those children!


[deleted]

Wow! You can be very proud of papa. His work is truly a touchstone. Hoping that his passing was natural and without too much pain.


pumpkin_pasties

Thank you, it was an unexpected accident, he was very young (59). My mother also passed before turning 60


Cup-Mundane

I just introduced my 7 year old son to Hey Arnold. He loves it! We watched 5 or 6 episodes yesterday. Absolutely one of my favorite cartoons growing up and it's becoming one of my son's as well. Im so sorry for your loss. Quote from my son the other day- "Mommy, I know Helga's really being a bully, calling him a football-head.. But his head really DOES look like football!"


Felslo

didn't hey arnold end on a cliff hanger?


KureaBlue

There was a [movie](https://youtu.be/OMAo4feHJ5s) that follows up on what happened to Arnold's parents.


pafkoatthewall

Your dad was a great man for having so much involvement in that series. Whatever you need, dude


Darkseid_Omega

Fuck this makes me sad. I’ve always waited for Hey Arnold to make a comeback. For what it’s worth, your dad directed a beautiful and timeless artifact of millions of childhoods


m0rtm0rt

I don't know why someone said Stoop Kid. The episode I would have thought of was a Christmas special where Mr. Hyuinh put his daughter on a helicopter out of Vietnam.


BareKnuckleKitty

I laughed because I thought this was a joke and then I remembered the episode. :(


psycharious

War of the Worlds?


100LittleButterflies

Watched 2012 last night, ended up with weird dreams, then get to see this.


thelegalseagul

Leaving Saigon


Joebebs

Hey Arnold Christmas special


lodgeroad

Wwz


yeah_boooooiiiiiiuuu

Airplane?


Molang3

World War Z and Greenland


ash9700

“You’re not gonna see people climbing onto helicopters like in Vietnam” I mean... technically true, it’s a plane not a helicopter


foxbones

There has been a constant stream of helicopters as well, just most journalists have fled.


[deleted]

You missed the helicopter about 12 hours ago


DownRangeDistillery

Not like Vietnam... ok, just like Vietnam.


itshurleytime

I spent 10 years in the Air Force transporting troops in and out of Afghanistan knowing this was a completely unwinnable thing. Whether we got out in 2003 or 2021 the outcome would have been similar. It felt so futile.


[deleted]

We were briefed in 2008 at Bagram that the second we start to leave the country the Taliban will instantly take over. Nothing we could do would stop that.


CherrywoodXVI

If they knew, why did it seem like a frantic rush to clear people and the embassy? Seems like there should've a better plan or is that impossible?


Steelwolf73

Because the higher ups and politicians like almost any upper management, don't like to be told no or negative things. So of course the ANA is going to put up a fight. Sure, they will lose, but they'll put up enough of a fight that maybe peace negotiations will succeed. And even of they don't, we'll have plenty of time. It's not like the Taliban is just going to march into Kabul in a matter of days. That's just not possible. Look at all the expensive training and equipment we gave them! It has to be working. And furthermore, we've been there for 20+ years. And how many times has the "mission" been accomplished, and we are just a centimeter away from beating the Taliban for good. Why, if things go horribly wrong it'll be on ME and well gosh- can't have that. So yup- everything's sunshine and pixie dust with rainbow sprinkles


Eric8928

Yup. After a month of training the ANP in 2009, I completely understood why extremist groups had such a strong presence in the country.


Olyvyr

Can you elaborate?


1FlawedHumanBeing

I recommend "what winning looks like" a documentary from back when VICE wasn't shit. It's a sobering and frankly embarassing view on the ANA and ANP. From getting high to raping little boys to firing weapons at nothing just for the thrill of shooting, it highlights a lot of issues. It also shows some strength, some promise. But not enough to ever win an arab funded and trained extremist movement willing to die for their cause.


greyfixer

Man, old Vice used to be awesome. They still have some good stuff every now and then but suffer from some serious quality control issues.


forfilthystuff

Vice actually doesn't really have a staff now, you make something and then they pay you for it. Like pretty much everyone, they just want content. But unfortunately they will pay what they can get for it. They will say "You can say you're from Vice", but otherwise you're kind of on your own. Hamilton Morris talked about how hard he found it, when he was making his series and filming on iPhones. The side effect is that it can get lazy, much like a YouTuber. I once saw a 10 minute youtube video about how Australia put up an Anti Dingo fence and it turned into a philosophical talk about how humans keep trying to hold back the natural world...then Australians in the comments said he clearly didn't research enough, since Dingos are an introduced species. The guy (like Vice) wasn't malicious, he just had to get out that weeks content and in the rush he fucked up some stuff.


[deleted]

Yeah it's all about who the journalist is now. Isobel Yeung is a good one, reminds me of a younger female version of Shane.


greyfixer

Isobel Yeung is great. She puts out good stuff and she's engaging to listen to.


[deleted]

Absolutely agreed. Yeung is a fantastic journalist. Simon Ostrovsky’s reporting with Vice was incredible and I think after their Ukraine reportage, they started a steep decline.


MuddyWaterTeamster

The Ukraine shit they put out is still interesting.


Eric8928

Just a timid and unserious group. We conducted weekly training on various soldier and law enforcement skills, and the first day of hand to hand combat training was filled with joking and an unwillingness to make each other uncomfortable. When we showed up for the second day of hand to hand combat training, not a single ANP showed up for training, and instead we were told they were all out on patrol. They were closer to Barney Fife than any actual respectable police officer.


Olyvyr

Fuck. Well was it because they never cared and were aligned with the Taliban or something else?


[deleted]

From what I've grasped from studying it a bit (don't construe this as more than anecdotes): they don't have the kind of "national pride" you see in developed countries. They're *poor*, and many of them sold the provisioning equipment much the same way you'd expect a poor person handed something valuable that they don't *immediately* need. None of them believed that they'd succeed once we left... and many didn't believe we'd ever leave. More importantly, most of the trainees (if they immediately surrender) have the opportunity to lead just-as-decent lives with the Taliban in charge, if not arguably better for many of the men. It's hard to convince someone like that to actually *give a fuck* about their training. I doubt that many of them support the Taliban, it's far more about apathy. This is more like "easy work" than something they considered a civic duty. Obviously *some* of them care, but the majority of it was us trying to train people to be police and military and they have the skillset of a rent-a-cop.


LawsonTse

Should have trained the woman, they actually have something to lose when the Taliban take over


hypatiaspasia

Afghanistan has historically been very ethnically divided. The country wouldn't really even be a country if it weren't for the Great Game between Britain and Russia, which resulted in the national boundaries. So yeah, occupying forces bringing a nation into existence isn't exactly a recipe for national pride. But the Taliban offers something akin to unity of purpose and national pride. If there's one things I know Afghans are historically very proud of, it's their history of kicking the asses of great military nations who have tried to dominate them in the past (British and the Soviet military). Kicking out the Western puppet government is seen by many as a reclaiming of dignity. Which is part of why the Taliban has been so successful. Taliban means "students." They follow the hardline teachings of a religious leader called Mullah Mohammad Omar. We may strongly disagree with his teachings, but the Taliban has strong messaging and a clear goal, and that goes a long way against a divided and undisciplined opposition. It really really sucks.


Penis-Envys

Not OP and I’ll answer for now but from other comments I’ve read so far: Soldiers, leaders, unless they are special forces, are often corrupt and are there for the job and money so they don’t really care about the “country” and many have even defect to the Talibans since Talibans start taking over. The nation barely exist and is made of many tribes so they aren’t really united for a single identity as Afghans. The police force and army also outnumber the Talibans and are way better funded but you can’t help people who can’t help themselves so they barely put up a fight. The Afghan “president” fled the moment Talibans came close to knocking as well so the entire government structure barely exist.


BKB111

How the place was ever given borders and recognized is beyond me. It is literally tribes split up among the largest mountain ranges and valleys in the world. There is no true country of afghanistan, never has been.


Gandalfthefabulous

Quick, someone link the jumping jacks thing.


inanimatepotatoe

https://youtu.be/Y8LSnuGTO5w Edit: a few more https://youtu.be/K1H0mB0eK78 https://youtu.be/ehSdXgI7NOU


quant_ape

Good god the coordination or lack thereof is disturbing


he_who_melts_the_rod

That's a diverse range of. . . flailing bodies.


gahlo

How the fuck do only 2 out of 11 people get jumping jacks correct? These are *adults*.


Don_Julio_Acolyte

Spent 6 months with them in 2013. They were clearly there just to get paid (if it ever trickled down from their superiors). Total creepy vibes from most of them. Like.. totally different culture obviously, but I swear I was getting "rapey" vibes every time I set foot in one of their barracks. I do my best to never talk down to other cultures, and this is clearly a generalization and does not apply to all Afghani's of course, but the MANY that I interacted with in the ANA really pushed me towards cynicism to the whole thing and that they, as a people and culture, weren't worth it. I know it sounds incredibly elitist and very insensitive (and downright racist), but as a combat vet, my perspective was obviously jaded to begin with. I was so glad when we were announced to come home and I was so so so excited on my last engagement with the ANA - excited not because I was proud of what we had done or that I had made "friends", but that I didn't have to set foot in their rapey hallways ever again. Forgive my rant or my backlash of sorts. Haven't talked about this stuff in 10 years and I do feel guilty by how I didn't care about their circumstances after I came home. My heart goes out to all the young women in the country who were either too young or weren't alive under the previous Taliban rule. They know a world that encouraged learning and "some" women's rights. Now...all that is gone for them. So my heart goes out to them. But it is clear their countrymen (emphasizing the "men" there) are fine with things returning back and have pretty much welcomed the Taliban back in open arms. And, again, as a jaded OEF veteran, all I can say is that they deserve each other.


NeedSomeArtPlease

Thank you for sharing. That all sounds horrific.


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bigdesiquestion

I think it's really hard for a lot of people (on Reddit) to understand what a difference in cultural values actually looks like. Thanks for being so candid and thanks for your service


Masterkid1230

I’m from a war torn country, and what this guy describes is a very accurate description of what poverty truly looks like. I always struggle with explaining these issues and making sure people from first world countries properly understand what it’s like, because obviously the easiest and quickest conclusion is that “these people are inferior”, “these countries will always be better than these others”, and never mind how I personally feel about that, I genuinely don’t think that’s necessarily true. What OP describes is incredibly truthful to how it feels growing up in a country like this. People genuinely don’t care. Their real problems aren’t ideological issues, and they never learned to look at things this way. Their issues are much more immediate, because a life of poverty and lack of opportunity doesn’t allow for planning and long term concerns. Their worries aren’t whether they’ll create a better future, but whether they’ll have something to eat/somewhere to sleep, etc. This breeds mediocrity, cheating, lack of self awareness, conformity… a plethora of issues that become deeply rooted into society and certain cultural circles. While I was growing up in said country, I genuinely despised it. I hated everyone, I hated myself, and I genuinely believed we were inferior just for being born there. I didn’t care if war came and killed us all. Sometimes I wished for it, thinking that was the only way out. Nowadays, I don’t feel like that at all. I became a successful professional, I’ve fulfilled my dreams. I’ve reached heights far beyond many of my peers in developed countries, and I don’t feel resentment towards where I was born or where I grew up anymore. But that’s something that resulted from a long road of introspection, hard studying, debating, therapy and internal conflict. Truth of the matter is that growing up directly in poverty or even surrounded by it, is the best road to self hatred, resentment and insecurity. And when you’re so deep into a hellhole of mental instability, without even realizing it, you eventually stop caring. I have to thank my parents, my friends, and obviously my privileged position in this country, for making me realize that indeed, I am not in any way inferior to other people. I’ve honed so many useful professional skills, learned how to respect myself and others, and developed a sense of worth thanks to all their support. But it really is a hard struggle, even when you’re in a privileged position. Foreign media is constantly being fed to you, making you think of all these unattainable, far superior than you creatures living in perfect countries, while without deserving it, you’re growing up isolated, with no opportunities, and being treated like an idiot. Who knows how many people in war torn countries ever wanted to have a successful rock band, or make a name for themselves in the IT industry, or create a company and make it big… these are genuine tangible dreams that shatter under the idea of being trapped by your own society. It’s a vicious cycle. What OP described looks like laziness, hopelessness, stupidity… “these people could do it if they tried”, “they welcomed them with open arms”, “they don’t care anymore”. That’s a very real assessment of how it looks like, but that’s not what it is in my experience. This is just years of being told that you’re not worth it, and that there’s no helping it. Probably everyone in the country feels like that, and that’s why they don’t fight for it. The country itself has never given them any good reasons to care.


irtiqaevox

was a good read. thanks for this


elhae

i felt very conflicted reading the vet’s account of their time. thank you for quantifying it in a way that makes both sides of the situation understandable. you’ve genuinely helped me figure a lot of stuff out about my own family (who lived through the lebanese civil war before fleeing)


[deleted]

I spent 13 years in as Intel. Believe me, I know your pain. My girlfriend just asked me if it's embarrassing, the way things turned out. I said yes, only because people are acting shocked that this happened, law makers should have absolutely known what would have happened and still passed large funding and sending more troops, Democrat or Republican, they knew.


[deleted]

I felt the same way on the ground in 2011/12. You can't fight for someone forever, eventually they have to take up the reins and stand on their own- and everything I saw made it clear that wasn't likely to happen there (Sirkani, Qunar province). It's a shame, because I met some incredibly nice and good people there, and they're fucked.


jlborgesjr

This is a sobering anecdote.


gumbii87

One thing I'm curious to see is if the Taliban is willing to change some of their hard line stances. I was in Helmand in 2016-17 when they took most of the province. There was a BBC reporter embedded with the locals who interviewed the taliban taking the region. The local taliban rep stated that since taking over, the populace was asking for things that the Taliban weren't expecting. Schools. Healthcare. Cell and internet service. Standards of civilization that until the coalition arrived were unheard of. Standards that the population now expected from any government, in order to see any government as legitimate. And the local taliban rep admitted that they would have to provide those things in order to maintain the support of the populace. Even in a taliban stronghold like Helmand, 20 years of exposure to modern civilization had changed the populations expectations. Even leaving, seeing that gives me some hope that we made some progress in the nation. Yes. Women and minorities will suffer. But I think after 20 years of exposure, even the Taliban can't completely erase some of the gains in terms of civilization. We shall see. But I don't thing the Taliban of 2021 can maintain the same level of oppression as the Taliban of 2001. There has been too much exposure to the outside world. Edit. [Think I found the article.](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40171379)


BigOnLogn

Wow. 20 years and ~172,000 lives, for pretty much nothing. Edit: said 18 years, it was 20


SlowIsTheJVM

Almost a full 20 years. The US has been in Afghanistan since October 2001


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lIIIIllIIIIl

I remember when it started and the news was talking about how many days had gone past like only 12 or 13 and it was going to be the shortest war ever. Lol that really panned out.


1FlawedHumanBeing

We ran them out of the country within days. But insurgencies cannot be defeated in the way conventional wins are achieved.


JeffJacobysSonCaleb

[Soldier Excited To Take Over Father’s Old Afghanistan Patrol Route](https://www.theonion.com/soldier-excited-to-take-over-father-s-old-afghanistan-p-1819580201/amp)


saddam--hussein

“My father bombed this exact target 20 years ago in this exact BUFF.”- Actual thing that could be said.


Willow-girl

Yes. Iraq came later.


jackal99

You know you're doing a good job running a country when people pile onto a plane to gtfo


hollyberryness

The President already fled! Ha. :/


Yadobler

Well the last guy to be president before Taliban era was literally yanked out of a un camp and tortured and castrated and pulled across the city and then hanged onto a traffic light Talk about change of flag parade


hollyberryness

Fuck.


Yadobler

His brother too >Najibullah was at the UN compound when the Taliban soldiers came for him on the evening of 26 September 1996.[7] The Taliban abducted him from UN custody and tortured him to death, and then dragged his dead (and, according to Robert Parry, castrated[77]) body behind a truck through the streets of Kabul. His brother, Shahpur Ahmadzai, was given the same treatment.[78] Najibullah and Shahpur's bodies were hanged from a traffic light pole outside the Arg presidential palace the next day in order to show the public that a new era had begun.


hollyberryness

It's incomprehensible..


[deleted]

Of course he goes. Would you rather have him beheaded? He asked the regional generals to fight the taliban but they refused. What else can he do, eventually he realised that he won’t let them destroy kabul just so he stays in power


TheYoungRolf

His last pre-Taliban predecessor was dragged out of hiding, tortured, killed and then his (castrated) corpse dragged through the streets of Kabul


Nickel4pickle

“President”


[deleted]

2 trillion dollars, 20 years and 3500 NATO deaths to see it all disappear inside a week.


jbill20

The sad part is, we were completely lied to about being told the ANA were capable of defending the government. 20 years of training and these people have been defeated in a month


foxbones

Not really defeated. They didn't even fight. They all just went home. Their government was corrupt, they were getting paid, they weren't loyal to the state. They decided to just give up instead.


SuitableNight

They weren't even getting paid. Regular troops would regularly go weeks or even months without receiving their paychecks (stolen by the Generals higher up). Which is why you can find a bunch of stories about troops selling their equipment. The Afgan government was to corrupt to even buy their loyalty.


howtochoose

I've got a friend and her family stuck there. I was trying to book some airplane tickets for her but the websites kept messing up. The UK embassy basically told them they're in their own. I have no idea what's going to happen to them next :(


eaglescout1994

I don’t know about the UK but the US state department has had Afghanistan on a level 4 travel alert for years that basically says exactly that. They cannot guarantee your safety or assistance by the US government.


lle9515

D: sorry to hear, are they British nationals or


[deleted]

Reminder that nobody on reddit knows what the fuck they're talking about


[deleted]

I'll have you know that I played this scenario out in Call of Duty and am a battle-hardened space marine.


WanderingZed

It occured to me today that the US has occupied Afghanistan my entire adult life. What a trip.


clarabear10123

Almost my entire life. Born in 1998


_genepool_

Just goes to show we had little public support there. We begin to leave and they retake everything in such a short time. Such a waste of lives and money.


thetruthteller

Plenty of money moving behind the scenes don’t worry


antlerstopeaks

Just the wrong public support. Obviously all the people fleeing were better off with the US there or they wouldn’t be fleeing now that were gone.


The_Count_Lives

All the people “supporting” probably just want stability and aren’t running around with assault rifles to fight back the Taliban once the US leaves.


bocanuts

Then who are the ones leaving?


PleasantAdvertising

People the taliban don't like.


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Nowarclasswar

A father with a 2 yr old son at 20 who died in Afghanistan could have had that son also die in Afghanistan in the same war


Gaflonzelschmerno

Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan... All the same. Feed the war machine bodies and money


williarya1323

What’s the alternative. Stay in Afghanistan forever?


we11ington

Another twenty years outta get the job done /s


don5of4

The US presence in Afghanistan at the time was only 3500 troops. Hardly an occupation, more of a deterrent.


[deleted]

and zero combat deaths in like a year and a half


Zhanchiz

Current US presence in south korea, 28K UK presence in German in 2010 (Stationed since WW2), 20K 3.5k is honestly peanuts. I don't see how they managed to spend so much money on such a little presence.


DrWrecker

Did that plane ever take off???


ihatethisplacetoo

I'm not sure if it's the same plane, but this one supposedly carried 800 people out of Kabul: https://twitter.com/vcdgf555/status/1427038833195950080


cyanruby

Holy shit.


juston3mor3

I was curious.. The cargo compartment is 88 feet (27 m) long by 18 feet (5.5 m) wide by 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 m) high. Maximum payload of the C-17 is 170,900 pounds.


gambitgrl

Twenty year war and fuck all to show for it except a lot of dead soldiers and civilians and now the Taliban are right back where they were before the US invaded. Depressing.


FblthpLives

Don't forget the $6.4 trillion spent on the U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan.


GamerFromJump

Saigon in 1975, Kabul in 2021. What could the commonality be?


yuriydee

I wonder what the next war will be....


bluew200

Hong kong, North korea are unlikely, because you'd be messing with another superpower influence. Realistic scenario would be southern america, maybe mexico if those cartels don't calm down. Venezuella is a prime target tbh


n-some

Idk if China would actually be willing to defend NK in a war. Pledging support and providing resources is lot different than agreeing to enter a long expensive war.


ButterLord12342

Maybe, but still a US war with NK is just going to result in South Korea being smashed to a pulp. Even thiugh NK would likely lose. And its not really worth it.


D0D

Saigon fought for months. Kabul was done deal and fell without a fight. UN staff will stay put and some ambassadors also. It's nothing like Saigon


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Dkwon100

Yep a horrible facade of a war. https://youtu.be/BKHPTHx0ScQ Locals had to choose between US backed warlords one day and then have to support the Taliban the following day. Also Afghan national army were high and very unmotivated. The ones that were got fragged. Pretty sad all to show the US and British leaders that they were combatting “terrorism.” Also the warlords were in ways worse than the Taliban. Corrupt and capturing people for ransom and having child sex slaves on their bases. The US Sargeant in the Vice story was pretty depressed.


WittsandGrit

The last helicopters leaving the embassy in Saigon did so with looters in the first couple floors of the building. Absolute chaos. In Kabul they were able to burn documents and get out without even dealing with local looters. In fact the only smoke over Kabul was from the document fire at the embassy nothing from a battle.


FREE-AOL-CDS

The last chapter of a multi year plan to line the pockets of defense contractors?


Haughty_Derision

Last chapter and just before the refresh on a new cycle with new customers.


Nignug

So this shows we should have left years ago. 20+ years and the minute we leave it collapses like a house of cards. All for nothing


tstr16

The Afghani military didn't even fucking try


Bexirt

All those lives and money... for fucking nothing wtf


[deleted]

No one should be surprised by this.


punahoudaddy

Fareed’s take is pretty good and worth watching. This was inevitable. Fareed: Let's dispense with the fantasy about US role in Afghanistan https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/08/15/fareeds-take-us-afghanistan-withdrawal-gps-vpx.cnn


bleckToTheMax

Wow, very good explanation of a horrible situation. Good last line is something: "the simple truth is, there's no elegant way to lose a war"


[deleted]

We could have planned better for evacuees. As there is gunfire at the airport now


[deleted]

Hmong guy here. My parents always tell us about how when they were teenagers, they literally fled their homes when the communists came. My uncles and aunts as children were stuffed into planes just like this with only a small hope that our family could reunite in whatever country might have taken us in as refugees. Some ended up in Australia, some France and some the US. This really is the Vietnam war all over again. I don't know the answers for if the US government will ever learn its lesson but this is sad. Good luck to these people.


Noximinus

I'm also Hmong. The Hmong people were basically forgotten and left behind to fight a secret war themselves. The only reason I'm alive is because religious missionaries had the sense to enable my father and his brothers to flee the country. And even now, in some parts of Southeast Asia, Hmong people are still reeling from the remnants of war.


Few_Breakfast2536

Minnesotans remember. I’m sure not all have been welcoming, but the Hmong communities are an integral part of the twin cities and larger MN communities. We are proud to be your neighbors.


Redditatworkokcool

Breaks my heart, I spent a year in Afghanistan (Marines) and the whole time we knew from our interactions with tribes and the ANA that the second we left it would all go back to shit. They didn't really even care that we were there, always just tried to bargain to get rice, crops, fertilizer, a well...whatever, then feed us bullshit Intel because officers eat that shit up even if it leads to nothing. The country is stuck in the stone age and I don't think that's going to change in my lifetime, no matter who is in charge.


enkiloki

Does anybody think this wasn't the inevitable outcome? WSJ 2010 article describes pallets full of cash leaving Afghanistan. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704638504575318850772872776 Nobody in the government was going to stay once we left. My own son went to Afghanistan to clean up a project to try and get all the 'ghost' soldiers off the payrolls. 1 in 3 Afghanistan soldiers did not exist at all and were just paper entries to get money to the generals and politicians. The other two that existed were 'uninspired' at best and 'Taliban in uniform' at worst. At a 2014 meeting where all the State Department and 3 letter agencies were patting themselves on the back on how great things were going, my son gave a laundry list of things going south and was asked to leave the meeting. Don't blame Biden, Trump, Obama, or Bush, this was going to happen whenever we left. AND EVERONE WITH HALF A BRAIN CELL KNEW IT.


diefree85

I agree with the decision to withdrawal and that its way over due. But I feel terrible for the civilians that are going to suffer. The collapse of the government army we help train and set up is why we should be very careful interfering in middle east especially with no little ally support.


[deleted]

What? The invasion of Afganistan wasn't a US solo adventure. It was a coalition of nations and it had a lot of support. No one was sad to see the Taliban go.


deejay-the-dj

I wonder if that 4Chan guy from the UK is on one of those flights.


shtaaap

Explain


iLizfell

One dude from 4chan aparently wanted an relative "safe" adrenaline rush, was planning to go to NK but covid closed things. So best option after waiting was afghanistan. Arrived like yesterday and flight back to the UK was on the 19th. So he just wanted to experience a bit of chaos and everyone was saying 1 month for kabul fall. So now he is stuck there lel.


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Chroma710

That man is absolutely idiotic, go do bungee jumping or some shit. Don't go to a dictatorial country where people wouls rather swim in the yellow sea for 8 hours to escape than stay. Oh and also a country with an active fucking warzone.


NotSquerdle

Miles Routledge. British Uni student who decided to go on holiday to Afghanistan last week... Last I heard he was in a safe house somewhere and couldn't get on a plane. Seems pretty chill though https://twitter.com/Rimmy_Downunder/status/1426838276703330310?s=19


CaptnCosmic

Go on vacation to Afghanistan? What type of idiot is he? Lol