Spain completed it's withdrawal of nearly 30,000 troops on 29th October 2015!France started the evacuation since 10th of May, using regular commercial flights.
By public demand when their electorate voted in a PM who promised to withdraw them.
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Spain completed it's withdrawal of nearly 30,000 troops on 29th October 2015!France started the evacuation since 10th of May, using regular commercial flights.
It's a bit of an enigma to me. As egypt and al-Sisi (instead of morsi) show public opinion has nothing on us dollars and strategic interest. Usually. Surely Afghanistan was of strategic interest. And ghost afghan soldiers and police and endemic corruption (which is standard fare anywhere in third world) aside, technology usually win wars these days, even asymmetric ones (as in syria), not a lot an rpg can do to to t90s with reactive armour (and unlike iraq the place weren't littered with us howitzer shells for ied's).A very silly claim for Boris to make anyway. There was nothing the Foreign Office could have done. The Taliban had total mastery of the situation so were calling all the shots.
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The answer is that technology doesn't win that kind of war and never can or will. The Russians found that out the hard way and withdrew from Afghanistan in early 1989 after finding it impossible to beat the Mujahideen. The USA found that out in Vietnam when they fled in fear of their lives from Saigon. Earlier too in Korea.It's a bit of an enigma to me. As egypt and al-Sisi (instead of morsi) show public opinion has nothing on us dollars and strategic interest. Usually. Surely Afghanistan was of strategic interest. And ghost afghan soldiers and police and endemic corruption (which is standard fare anywhere in third world) aside, technology usually win wars these days, even asymmetric ones (as in syria), not a lot an rpg can do to to t90s with reactive armour (and unlike iraq the place weren't littered with us howitzer shells for ied's).
Don't forget China in that equation. Afghanistan has a pivotal point, between Russian interests, Chinese, Western .. India and Pakistan, and the Oil rich Gulf . If ever there was a need to have another neutral Switzerland ,it is there.The answer is that technology doesn't win that kind of war and never can or will. The Russians found that out the hard way and withdrew from Afghanistan in early 1989 after finding it impossible to beat the Mujahideen. The USA found that out in Vietnam when they fled in fear of their lives from Saigon. Earlier too in Korea.
These are enemies who appear out of nowhere, attack and disappear into nowhere, as often as not because they are supported by the population who are a part of the enemy while often pretending to be allies. That makes it possible for them to attack from behind the lines with planted bombs, IEDs and suicide bombers. Thats why the Taliban took over so quickly, contrary to our lies they didn't have to fight, the Afghan army merely stood aside for them since they didn't believe in what they were defending, many of them believing in the Taliban and some even a part of the Taliban.
As for the strategic importance, there is none now since Afghanistan has become effectively a neutral between the two sides now that both Russia and the USA have been driven out and neither will want to return.
Now for both sides it will be about aid and diplomacy.
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Agreed and it's what I meant about the two sides, now China and Russia are increasingly aligned, also saying Afghanistan was effectively a neutral now.Don't forget China in that equation. Afghanistan has a pivotal point, between Russian interests, Chinese, Western .. India and Pakistan, and the Oil rich Gulf . If ever there was a need to have another neutral Switzerland ,it is there.
They are all checking out:Florida radio host who called himself ‘Mr Anti-Vax’ dies of Covid-19
If my Father was still alive he would have found this to be unbelievableAmerican aid to Afghanistan
Confirms what I've been saying ever since the pandemic began. It doesn't matter how well it's handled, at the outset or later, it will still catch up with everyone eventually if they don't have near perfect isolation. Policies can make it worse as we've done, almost no policy makes it better.Israel seems to be struggling with Covid
I hope that wasn't "Polly".Florida radio host who called himself ‘Mr Anti-Vax’ dies of Covid-19
Maybe they are doing more and complete testing, but much more important, at what ratio are these infections translating into hospital admissions , ICU admission and deaths.Israel seems to be struggling with Covid
I understand that these are the arsenal they provided the Afghan national army with. Now there will no doubt be plenty of ammunition to service these weapons. Moreover the Afghan Army is now a well trained army, and will obviously become the bulk of the new Taliban controlled National Army. They will have maintenance skills and workshops to keep those Blackhawks airborne, and that gives them a potent regional army.If my Father was still alive he would have found this to be unbelievable
at Dunkirk they destroyed everything the Germans could use even when under heavy attack.
Are we to assume that all of this ordnance was in use by the Afghan defence forces?
And did the US remove it's hardware?
Didn't the Americans have the nouse to plant demolition charges in the weapons dumps that they could trigger if things went belly up?
And the icing on the cake
33 Mi Russian Helicopter Gunships the Russians will be happy to help with.
Has Gove had some kind of break down or something, this seems very strange behaviour for someone in his position.Someone said yesterday that they heard Gove had taken out a super injunction, has anyone read anything about this or it is just a rumour doing the rounds?