I’ll support anyone who uses automated, remote, AI or manual airpower to prove a point instead of sending in troops. No troops unless the goal is to wipe the slate and claim the United Afghan States of America. Or give it to Israel. They’re always looking for some disputed territory to occupy.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, denied the group had killed any prisoners, saying that would violate its principles. He also said allegations that the Taliban was forcing women into marriage were false, and that such actions would be contrary to the rules of Islam and violate cultural tradition.
Her father, Abdul Rezaq Rezaie, said she had been shot in the head in early July by Taliban fighters going door-to-door in their village in the Malistan district of Ghazni province in central Afghanistan. Villagers said it was unclear what they were after.
The fighters shot Wazir’s sister-in-law in the stomach and she collapsed to the floor mortally wounded. As Wazir, who is in her 40s, bent to help her, she was shot in the face, Mr. Rezaie said. He said a bullet entered her right temple and exited from her left eye.
It was the same strategy as in Viet Nam. Establish a strong, pro-Western central government with widespread popular support capable of defeating extremist elements. You can’t do that without winning over hearts and minds. You can’t do it with bombs and bullets either though.
Jesus…we’re in the New World Order now. Get that Cold War sh8t outside. lol
We project power now. Period. The lesson is for Russia, China, NK…the targets are much much smaller. But I think the message is clear.
It wasn’t my strategy. As far as “projecting power” goes do you really think the U.S. looks powerful now as it exits Afghanistan just ahead of the Taliban advance?
The Taliban regained what now exactly? We left because we need the money to build roads apparently. Not really a tail between the legs withdrawal.
This.
Tribal squabbling in Afghanistan has been The Way Things Are for centuries, probably. There’s a theory that mountainous regions of the planet are pretty much doomed to this sort of thing because of the extreme difficulty of getting around - subpopulations become isolated by geography and end up flinging poo at each other over the top of a big boulder for no really important reason.
Then why not go in and help Israel annex some new territory? That would show them that we’re willing to cross a line for our allies and interests.
What’s in it for us?
U.S. negotiators are trying to extract assurances from the Taliban that they will not attack the US Embassy in Kabul if the extremist group overruns the capital in a direct challenge to the country’s government, two US officials said.
The effort, led by Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief US envoy in talks with the Taliban, seeks to stave off an evacuation of the embassy as the fighters rapidly seize cities across Afghanistan. The Taliban’s advance has put embassies in Kabul on high alert for a surge of violence in coming months, or even weeks, and forced consulates and other diplomatic missions elsewhere in the country to shut down.
US diplomats now are trying to determine how soon they may need to evacuate the US Embassy should the Taliban prove to be more bent on destruction than a détente. On Thursday, the embassy urged Americans who were not working for the US government to leave Afghanistan immediately on commercial flights.
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This thing has been unwinding since Restrepo came out, through several American administrations…not exactly a big surprise.
Remember when Trump dropped the MOAB and Afghanistan stfu for hmm, about four years?
That, as the bard said, can be very easily done…again. #HW61
You said the goal was projecting power.
Then how about guaranteeing Taiwan full protection from China after a declaration of independence in exchange for some huge bases and nukes on the island?
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Again, what’s in it for us?
And this…with an interactive map:
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Are you serious? Bases and nukes on Taiwan would be huge for the US in the region.
I’ll look at your link.
I remember when the U.S. won all the battles in Viet Nam and still lost the war.
Well, “lost” and “war” are political terms.
Nukes in Taiwan would be a bad idea. One wants stability not armed nuclear confrontation. I’ve been saying for a while, nukes in Japan are a great deterrent to all out war in SE Asia.
China is gonna ramp up production regardless, and everyone has enough nukes to destroy everything already anyways.
Wouldn’t be a bad idea to take over Cuba as soon at possible too.
Jesus Christ man, let’s just take over the whole world and do it in the the name of peace. 
At least they’d get some tangible benefit from the projecting.
You mean like trade? I think we have that covered. What more do you want? 
I want lasers.