UI – Part 680 – Leaving Afghanistan

Biden wants out of Afghanistan and like Obama makes an announcement.  Put it in your calendar Taliban, this is when USA troops will depart.  It’ll be all yours again.

Just a quick recall lesson.  Before Jimmy Carter there was no Taliban.  There were students, the ‘talib.’ In 1979 Russian invaded, that is after the Ayatollah took over Iran.  Carter let them both in, to the detriment of each country.  

For Afghanistan the interstitial space between Afghanistan and Pakistan, referred to as Pastunistan, is represented by both countries.  In 1893 a Brit named Durand created the Durand line.  It was and is the boundary between the two countries.  There was not Pakistan then and the British controlled India (until 1947).  It was determined by geographic means, rivers, valleys, mountains, and not an ethnic boundary.  In the area live tribes, the Punjabis (Pakistani oriented) and the Pashtuns (Afghan oriented).  The Pashtuns rule the north (Afghanistan) and the Punjabis the south (Pakistan).

During the Russian invasion and occupation of Afghanistan (1979 to 1989 – Soviet-Afghan War) devout Afghan Muslims were displaced, moving into the Pastunistan area.  There schools were established for the ‘talib’ to continue their Islamic education.  The Saudi’s provided funding for construction of madrassas (schools) and mosques, while America provided funds to counter the Russians.  Osama Bin Laden was in the area then too, learning and teaching, but with a more global focus.  The ‘talib’ were taught and at the same time exercised by training as militants.  Finding caches of Russian weapons they became warriors for Allah and their nation, becoming the Taliban.  Soon they took up arms agains the Russians and aided in their defeat.

Harassment and constant losses weakened the resolve of the Soviets causing them to finally give-up and leave.  That left the Taliban to return and eventually take control of Afghanistan.  They imposed strict Sharia law and returned a relatively free society to the control of their Quranic diabolic self-styled principalled methods of oppression and control.  At first factions of mujahedeen, or holy warriors, took control, but then they quickly began to fight among themselves. A civil war raged for more than 10 years. Blood was spilled as warlords in this tribal nation fought to protect their turf and their way of life.  The student radicals began to blend in as the Taliban movement was given birth. The Taliban took over. In the late 90’s the Taliban gained control of the capital, Kabul.  Then their ugly barbaric nature occupied the entire Afghan stage. The curtain drawn, their methods obvious, women remained indoors, covered when outside, and freedoms were absent.  Poppies flourished and the heroin trade grew to produce revenue for these Islamist rebels. 

Poor Afghanistan.  The people let it happen.  Kabul’s Olympic soccer stadium became a center for public executions. Following methods of chastisement for wrongdoings as noted in the Scripture of Islam, they cut off the hands of those accused of theft; they stoned to death women who were accused of adultery.  A dark virtual shroud around Afghanistan kept events taking place from the free world, while Al Qaeda was evolving too, until September 11, 2001. After 911 eyes were opened to the changes and the atrocities as outside military forces moved in to capture and kill those responsible for the World Trade Center attack. 

America has been in the Afghanistan theater ever since. It has not been a pleasant experience, nor totally successful, but we are there and our presence is known.  We gather intelligence and have a better handle on what the Taliban, even Al Qaeda [what remnants are there (and now ISIS)], are doing.  We have airbases, training facilities and military camps.  And Biden wants that all to be left, emptied, equipment to remain for the Afghans that are willing to fight the Taliban.  You know as do I, that will not happen.  Most troops are already gone, but enough remain to provide us with valuable information.  We can operate drones and have continued relationships with locals. The locals historically have not shown the necessary backbone to fight for themselves.  The brutes of the tribal areas, and the Taliban bullies, will prevail.  Wait and see what happens when we leave. You cannot gather the same info from afar, using technology, spycraft, satellites, drones and more, that you can directly on the ground, in the area. 

Leaving will be expensive too.  Taxpayers will pay for more of what Biden is doing.  Contracts will need to be broken, penalties paid, there are costs to shipping equipment back to the USA, and we will still be paying salaries of the afghan military (the good, the bad and the indifferent).  That is not all, either.  And there will be counter-terrorism efforts, technology put in place and other external efforts that will be costly to establish in an effort to continue to monitor Afghanistan’s next takeover. 

And why in God’s name did Biden announce 911 this year as the departure date.  Does he want the Taliban to know when their complete takeover can begin and to celebrate defeat of the American army on the dame day American was successfully targeted on our own property. This is crazy as crazy can be.  This alone makes me consider Biden is not of his own mind. 

Here’s an interesting article for your consideration – When Afghanistan Almost Worked (read).

Well now you know how I feel.

Grace and Peace

by

Thomas W. Balderston

Author of The Damascus Quran, a novel, and others.  Available at Amazon.

Blogger – Understand-Islam.com and TomBalderston.Blogspot.com