Withdrawal from Afghanistan

[Alan Klein]

and now we are doing quite a business with Vietnam. Won't happen in Afghanistan due to the frozen in time culture represented by the Taliban and other tribes.

We buy their heroin.

[faberryman]

For some reason, Johnson felt the need to continue with former President Kennedy's bellicosity regarding NV. Maybe he felt guilty becoming president when Kennedy was assassinated.

That must be it. I can't think of any other plausible explanations.

[sf]

We should impress upon the Taliban if they do anything again to harm Americans or support others who would, that we'll be back again in force to finish them off this time.

That would work. How charmingly naive.

S

[Alan Klein]

That must be it. I can't think of any other plausible explanations.

Well, it could have been just anti-Communism.  But there was something else.  It was ephemeral.  Something I felt during his presidency. I lived through the time in fact served for four years in the Air Force during Vietnam War. There was a sense that Johnson felt obligated to continue what Kennedy started both in Vietnam and for some of his social programs.  I'm not saying there weren't other reasons.  But we all do stuff for various reasons, often more than one.  I think one of them for Johnson was to continue Kennedy's legacy.  I think he felt an obligation due to the way, especially, he came president when Kennedy was assassinated.  Also, he kept on many advisors who advised Kennedy.  He should have fired them all but even there, I'm sure he felt some obligation to keep them around in deference to Kennedy.  Of course, the Mafia was happy Johnson got rid of Robert Kennedy as Attorney General.

[faberryman]

Well, it could have been just anti-Communism.  But there was something else.  It was ephemeral.  Something I felt during his presidency. I lived through the time in fact served for four years in the Air Force during Vietnam War. There was a sense that Johnson felt obligated to continue what Kennedy started both in Vietnam and for some of his social programs.  I'm not saying there weren't other reasons.  But we all do stuff for various reasons, often more than one.  I think one of them for Johnson was to continue Kennedy's legacy.  I think he felt an obligation due to the way, especially, he came president when Kennedy was assassinated.  Also, he kept on many advisors who advised Kennedy.  He should have fired them all but even there, I'm sure he felt some obligation to keep them around in deference to Kennedy.  Of course, the Mafia was happy Johnson got rid of Robert Kennedy as Attorney General.

You are certainly free to believe whatever you want to believe.

[Alan Klein]

That would work. How charmingly naive.

S

Well, I am a charming fellow.  Also, it's a warning to them and to others. If they set up a base for Al Khaida again, we can bomb it and tell everyone, we told you what we were going to do. We don't necessarily have to put troops back in there.   The Taliban isn't stupid.  They just want power over their country.  Why would they jeopardize that again, assuming they defeat the current leadership in Kabul,  knowing what happened twenty years ago? 

[faberryman]

Why would they jeopardize that again, assuming they defeat the current leadership in Kabul,  knowing what happened twenty years ago?

You mean the bunker bombs and Bin Laden escaping over the mountains into Pakistan with his dialysis machine on a donkey?

[Alan Klein]

You mean the bunker bombs and Bin Laden escaping over the mountains into Pakistan with his dialysis machine on a donkey?

We stupidly sent the Northern Alliance Afgan troops after him who were working with us.  I knew the same day I read that he would get away.  Why the hell didn't we use our own troops to get him?  But we learned our lesson and killed him finally with Navy Seals, our own troops, the way it should have been done when he escaped to Pakistan.

By the way, did he really need dialysis?   

[Alan Klein]

That would work. How charmingly naive.

S

You didn't tell us what we should do in Afghanistan.  Would you like to now?

[faberryman]

By the way, did he really need dialysis?

No, I took a little poetic license. It sounded more dramatic than saying he escaped with a box of insulin pens. And there were rumors that he had kidney problems, so a dialysis machine wasn't outside the realm of possibility. That's one of the rules of poetic license. It can't be too farfetched.

[Alan Klein]

No, I took a little poetic license. It sounded more dramatic than saying he escaped with a box of insulin pens.

Oh, OK.  Glad to see you're lightening up a little. 

[Robert Roaldi]

... If they set up a base for Al Khaida again, we can bomb it and tell everyone, we told you what we were going to do. We don't necessarily have to put troops back in there.   ...

Has that ever worked?

[faberryman]

When 9-11 occurred, the Taliban was in charge of the government and a lot of the Afghan territory generally and the area where Al Khaida, Bin Laden and their training camps were located.

Jerry Seinfeld has some unique insights into those terrorist training camps.

https://youtu.be/qYVu-j_lcr4?t=4

[Alan Klein]

Has that ever worked?

Yes, it helped contribute to the defeat of ISIS.  But it is true that in order to defeat an enemy permanently, you need troops on the ground.  What I'm proposing, however, is if the Taliban allows terrorists back in their country, should they take over the government or allow them into the areas they control, we should bomb Taliban resources as well as the terrorists.  They'll get the point rather quickly.  We always have the option of sending ground troops again.  Let's hope that isn't needed.  Let's hope none of it is needed.

[faberryman]

Yes, it helped contribute to the defeat of ISIS.  But it is true that in order to defeat an enemy permanently, you need troops on the ground.  What I'm proposing, however, is if the Taliban allows terrorists back in their country, should they take over the government or allow them into the areas they control, we should bomb Taliban resources as well as the terrorists.  They'll get the point rather quickly.  We always have the option of sending ground troops again.  Let's hope that isn't needed.  Let's hope none of it is needed.

There are terrorist in quite a few countries. Is there anyone else you would like to bomb? Iran perhaps? Would they get the point rather quickly? There’s Syria too. How about Syria?

[Alan Klein]

There are terrorist in quite a few countries. Is there anyone else you would like to bomb? Iran perhaps? Would they get the point rather quickly? There’s Syria too. How about Syria?

We've bombed terrorists in Syria already.  Remember ISIS.  Not sure about Iran, yet.  Here's a map.  By the way, others have joined in the bombing and counter-terrorist activities.  After all, we were not the only ones who have been attacked by terrorists.  France, Russia, Italy, Spain, Iraq, Israel, Indonesia, Kenya, and many others.  Are you suggesting we shouldn't protect ourselves?  Biden was only president about a month before he bombed some terrorists - in Syria. 

This Map Shows Where in the World the U.S. Military Is Combatting Terrorism
The infographic reveals for the first time that the U.S. is now operating in 40 percent of the world’s nations
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/map-shows-places-world-where-us-military-operates-180970997/

[Robert Roaldi]

We've bombed terrorists in Syria already.  Remember ISIS.  Not sure about Iran, yet.  Here's a map.  By the way, others have joined in the bombing and counter-terrorist activities.  After all, we were not the only ones who have been attacked by terrorists.  France, Russia, Italy, Spain, Iraq, Israel, Indonesia, Kenya, and many others.  Are you suggesting we shouldn't protect ourselves?  Biden was only president about a month before he bombed some terrorists - in Syria. 

This Map Shows Where in the World the U.S. Military Is Combatting Terrorism
The infographic reveals for the first time that the U.S. is now operating in 40 percent of the world’s nations
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/map-shows-places-world-where-us-military-operates-180970997/

I wonder if it's working.

[josh.reichmann]

The topic reads as a statment and the covo is moving into as a discussion of a general political nature. If this drifts into the usual territory where old grievences are hashed-out under this header, I'll have to delete.

Please do keep it as topical / focused possible, or move it over to the political thread.

Thanks.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

We've bombed terrorists in Syria already...

Nah... we are there to bomb Assad. Russians are bombing terrorists.

[faberryman]

Are you suggesting we shouldn't protect ourselves?

I'll respond to that straw man. I am asking to which of the "40 percent of the world’s nations" are you suggesting we read the riot act, and threaten to bomb if they let terrorists in? So far you have only mentioned Afghanistan.