Measuring success in Afghanistan withdrawal

[citygator]

“Measuring success” in withdrawal?

Depends above all on the Taliban …

At this point we might as well just pray to God (or Allah) that Westerners are allowed to get out of the country — alive.

As for those who worked for the U.S., the truth is the West doesn’t really want most of them ... so pray for them too.

(As for “vetting” …. Afghans are being told to apply for paperwork from the State Department, whose offices were in the Green Zone, which is now taken over by the Talaban. The Soviet embassy is still open however. Travel to the airport is now completely controlled by the Taliban as well.)

So getting Americans out alive is success? I’m getting a mixed opinion from you on Afghan citizens coming to the US.

 

[candycorn]

What would you like to see for a successful exit?

For one thing....

All of the aircraft the large airlines had shelved last year that may be (not sure what the exact numbers are) laying dormant.... use them to evacuate folks. Or remind the executives that the next time they need a bailout, Uncle Sam may not answer the phone.

 

[Independent thinker]

A successful withdrawal of Afghanistan will be if every American soldier and civil service worker gets out alive. How else will you measure success?

I don't believe you can use the word success on this issue.

 

[citygator]

I don't believe you can use the word success on this issue.

What would you define as a SUCCESSFUL EXIT?

 

[citygator]

For one thing....

All of the aircraft the large airlines had shelved last year that may be (not sure what the exact numbers are) laying dormant.... use them to evacuate folks. Or remind the executives that the next time they need a bailout, Uncle Sam may not answer the phone.

So you are rating success based on how many planes e use? What if our soldiers and civil servants get out safely?

 

[Coyote]

Sometimes war is necessary. It was a sad time for our country when our boys were fighting in Iraq and you liberals didn't have any patriotism.

A war we had mo business sending our boys to.

 

[Lesh]

Especially when Biden took their means to do so on the way out.

What "means" are you talking about? Certainly not weapons. Your buddies are screaming that we left TOO MANY weapons behind

 

[candycorn]

So you are rating success based on how many planes e use?

Nope... I'm saying that if we needed to use more planes--if (in the upcoming weeks) an excuse is made that there were not enough planes available--that is BS.

I have seen pictures of the jam-packed flights of people laying on floor of a cargo plane. I'm guessing a Boeing 767 may be a bit more comfortable, orderly, safer (can you imagine turbulence)?

What if our soldiers and civil servants get out safely?

God bless em. I think we owe a debt to the translators who helped us as well though....and likely thousands of others of support staff and allies.

 

[Lesh]

For one thing....

All of the aircraft the large airlines had shelved last year that may be (not sure what the exact numbers are) laying dormant.... use them to evacuate folks. Or remind the executives that the next time they need a bailout, Uncle Sam may not answer the phone.

Just a few months ago Trumpers were whining that Afghans would be coming into our country without "proper vetting" whatever that is

Now they whine that anyone climbing onto a plane isn't allowed to emigrate

 

[SweetSue92]

Right, so your entire criticism, which is actually the criticism of somebody you're allowing to think for you, revolves around the suggestion that it was possible to prevent the Taliban from taking over while still committing to a withdrawal. I disagree. Under Trump the Taliban would have still taken over after the removal of the troops. The argument from your right wing source is more wordy, but ultimately it suffers from the same thing your version of the argument did, a lack of details about how it could have been different, other than just saying it was too rushed. I don't think there was actually a pretty way to do this. I think the Taliban were going to be a problem no matter what.

It doesn't matter if the Taliban was "going to be a problem" if WE GOT OUR PEOPLE OUT

 

[lennypartiv]

It doesn't matter if the Taliban was "going to be a problem" if WE GOT OUR PEOPLE OUT

These were the same liberals who protested against the Vietnam War and let the communists win.

 

[Anomalism]

It doesn't matter if the Taliban was "going to be a problem" if WE GOT OUR PEOPLE OUT

Gotcha.

Well you go right ahead and blame Biden for something that would have happened the same way if Trump had still been the president. I'm bored.

 

[SweetSue92]

Your measure of success is immigration for 86,000 people?

Absolutely yes. If America made that promise to them, then we owe it to them, yes.

Seal the Southern border. Let those who WE PROMISED in.

 

[SweetSue92]

Gotcha.

Well you go right ahead and blame Biden for something that would have happened the same way if Trump had still been the president. I'm bored.

Words are cheap, son

 

[SweetSue92]

A war we had mo business sending our boys to.

We went wrong when we curved toward "nation building".

The world wants a whole lot less of American influence and I think they should get a lot less of it. I was with Trump on that. Oh that means Europe too, and than means a LOT less of our $$$$.

Europe, build you own military to hold back China and Russia. Also don't call us, we'll call you. Maybe.

 

[Coyote]

Absolutely yes. If America made that promise to them, then we owe it to them, yes.

Seal the Southern border. Let those who WE PROMISED in.

I agree except we don't "seal" the border. Just apply the laws, treat people with dignity and give asylum case the hearing they are entitled to.

 

[Anomalism]

A war we had mo business sending our boys to.

If we weren't collectively stupid we would never have gone to Afghanistan either. We were never going to defeat terrorism. All we did was throw away the lives of young patriots and deplete our treasure. One old dying man wasn't worth everything we sacrificed as a nation. Not to mention the countless innocent people in the ME that were collateral damage. I think a lot of Americans don't even see them as people, because if they did then their loss would unsettle them more.

 

[Anomalism]

Just apply the laws

What do we do when people break those laws?

 

[candycorn]

Just a few months ago Trumpers were whining that Afghans would be coming into our country without "proper vetting" whatever that is

Now they whine that anyone climbing onto a plane isn't allowed to emigrate

They also used to celebrate stock market highs.... not so much nowadays.

 

[SweetSue92]

I agree except we don't "seal" the border. Just apply the laws, treat people with dignity and give asylum case the hearing they are entitled to.

Treat people with dignity, yes, but seal the border. For just one thing, the migrants coming through have inordinately high cases of Covid.