Why guys in flip-flops with old rifles so quickly taking down US armed/trained Afghan forces?

[enhanced_deficit]

Why guys in flip-flops with old rifles are so quickly taking down US armed/trained Afghan forces?
20 years of training during freedom war there that was costing taxpayers as much as $100 Billion a year.

Or this was all planned as part of some 3D strategy & Afghan forces were deliberately not well trained during last two decades to avoid risk of having a well trained/armed Islamic military that included Northern Alliance factions historically aligned with Iran?


Hundreds of Afghan forces surrender in Kunduz as Taliban consolidates hold on country’s north

Taliban fighters patrol in Farah, capital of the province of the same name in southwest Afghanistan, on Aug. 11

By Susannah George and Ezzatullah Mehrdad
Today at 10:21 a.m. EDT

KABUL — Hundreds of Afghan forces surrendered to the Taliban on Wednesday as the militants consolidated their hold on the country’s north, overrunning three towns in a single day.

After holding out for days at a military base on the edge of Kunduz, an entire Afghan army corps surrendered to Taliban fighters, handing over valuable equipment, according to two Afghan officers who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the news media.

The move essentially ceded the last island of government control in the provincial capital to the Taliban and followed days of sweeping gains by the fighters across northern and western Afghanistan. The Taliban has now pushed into nine provincial capitals. On Tuesday alone, three towns were overrun by the group.

In Kunduz, local elders had visited Afghan military commanders at the base near the city’s airport and asked them to surrender to the Taliban, which pledged not to harm them, said Zargul Alemi, a member of the Kunduz provincial council who fled the province before the surrender. Alemi said that after some commanders accepted the surrender deal, along with a fraction of soldiers at the base, the rest of the forces retreated to a nearby mountain range.
washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/11/hundreds-afghan-forces-surrender-kunduz-taliban-consolidates-hold-countrys-north/


Speed of Taliban Advance Surprises Biden Administration, Dismays U.S. Allies

Fears spread among countries that worked to prop up the Afghan government, from the fate of their embassy staff to the value of U.S. commitments

Aug. 11, 2021 2:59 pm ET
WASHINGTON—When President Biden this spring announced the decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, his administration expected the Afghan military to defend key cities and perhaps battle the Taliban to a stalemate.
Before the current Taliban offensive, U.S. officials said they didn’t expect the takeover of any provincial capital until fall at the earliest.
Instead, a carefully planned strategy carried out by the Taliban has produced swift battlefield advances, allowing insurgents to seize a succession of provincial capitals since Friday. Three more fell Tuesday, bringing the total to nine, including several major cities.

The latest U.S. intelligence assessment said Kabul could fall to militants in as soon as a month, officials said. U.S. officials now worry that Afghan civilians, soldiers and others will flee the city ahead of a Taliban assault.

wsj.com/articles/speed-of-taliban-advance-surprises-biden-administration-dismays-u-s-allies-11628708393

 

[TheTexan]

At least they are using ARs now instead of just AKs

That's a big win

 

[enhanced_deficit]

But they seem to be using sneaky methods for modernization:

Taliban's Lightning Afghanistan Advance Could Win Billions of Dollars in U.S.-Made Weapons

By David Brennan On 8/11/21

The Taliban is advancing faster than expected in Afghanistan and multiple major provincial cities and vital border crossings have already fallen to militants. This week alone, the Taliban has captured at least five provincial capitals.
The Afghan Armed Forces (AAF)—which has long failed to live up to the hopes and promises of its American backers—appears unable to stem the tide or retain the billions of dollars in U.S.-made weapons given to help their ongoing fight.
Afghan National Army (ANA) defeats undermine the government, bolster the Taliban's reputation, and hand the group new equipment and weapons.
newsweek.com/taliban-lightning-afghanistan-advance-win-billions-dollars-us-made-weapons-1618220

Jun 30, 2021

One Month, 700 Trucks: Afghanistan’s U.S. Military Vehicles Fall Into Taliban Hands

Sebastien Roblin
Taliban fighters inspect Humvees surrendered to them by Afghan security forces in June 2021.
Video capture. An investigation of imagery posted on social media concludes that in the month of June alone the Taliban has captured a staggering 700 trucks and Humvees from the Afghan security forces as well as dozens of armored vehicles and artillery systems.
Those shocking numbers reflect that local defense forces in some districts are evaporating in the face of Taliban pressure—sometimes without a fight, due in part to the perception that the government is doomed due to the imminent U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan later this year.
And that in turn implies huge volumes of military equipment donated or sold to Afghanistan to help it fight the Taliban may instead continue pouring into that very group’s hands.
forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2021/06/30/one-month-700-trucks-afghanistans-us-military-vehicles-fall-into-taliban-hands/


For years, American commanders have been reluctant to give night-vision equipment to rank-and-file Afghan soldiers and police officers out of concern of widespread corruption among those forces. The devices — headsets and infrared lasers — are usually given only to elite Afghan commandos and police special mission units, according to American military officials.

As some of this equipment falls into Taliban hands, the militants are joining a larger trend, said David W. Barno, a retired lieutenant general who led the war effort in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. Advanced equipment, such as drones and precision weapons, is being seized by other extremist groups in other global conflict zones, he said.

In one case last November, Taliban fighters wearing night-vision goggles attacked a police outpost in Farah Province, in western Afghanistan. By the time the predawn assault was over, eight Afghan officers lay dead in their beds, Haji Abdul Rahman Aka, the elder of the province’s Pule Regi area, said at the time. Only one Afghan officer survived.


The documents show that the American military has begun to send older models of night-vision hardware to regular Afghan Army units. Those headsets cost an estimated $3,000 each, officials said.

One of the first batches of night-vision equipment for conventional units in southern Afghanistan, part of a monthslong pilot program, was sent to the embattled 215th Corps in Helmand Province in the spring of 2016.
Only 161 of the 210 devices were returned, according to the military documents obtained by The Times, and the equipment was not effectively used, in part because the forces were not properly trained to use it.
Afghan troops said the missing devices were reported as “battle losses,” but could not support that claim with any proof or records to explain where or when they were left behind, according to the documents.

At the time, the commander of the 215th Corps was Maj. Gen. M. Moein Faqir. He was later arrested on sweeping corruption charges that included misuse of food money meant for his troops.
nytimes.com/2018/04/01/world/asia/taliban-night-vision.html

 

[oyarde]

Some of my rifles are probably a lot older than any in general use there now is my guess.

 

[phill4paul]

At least they are using ARs now instead of just AKs

That's a big win

Yup! With M203's for the win. Wonder where they got those from?

 

[oyarde]

Yup! With M203's for the win. Wonder where they got those from?

I wish I could just go to the hardware store and get some M 79's

 

[fedupinmo]

At least they are using ARs now instead of just AKs

That's a big win

Jokes on them, 5.56 is a lot more expensive than 7.62x39.

 

[ClaytonB]

 

[TheCount]

The taliban members have more of an incentive to fight than the afghan military

 

[oyarde]

The taliban members have more of an incentive to fight than the afghan military

Winner gets the dancing boys ?

 

[phill4paul]

Jokes on them, 5.56 is a lot more expensive than 7.62x39.

Yup, LOL. Only here though. They've probably picked up billions of rds. left behind that the military purchased driving up our costs.

 

[phill4paul]

Winner gets the dancing boys ?

Afghanistan should have been handled differently. A low yield nuke should have been dropped on Tora Bora. An issued statement "We've done less than this for the attack by the Empire of Japan over less loss in life and destruction of property. Try us again."

Now, there will be some that say "Ohmegerds, a NUKE!" But, it's fucking Tora Bora. Just have to look at prevailing winds. But, fuck Pakistan too.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

That's why leaders/gravy train contractors who have been sayin that "we need more time to train Afghan forces" and ensure freedom may be onto something.

The taliban members have more of an incentive to fight than the afghan military

Granted there have been reports of rampant corruption and Villas being bought in Dubai with US aid, this is no small incentive:

US taxpayers to pay $4B a year to Afghan forces until 2024

Afghanistan should have been handled differently. A low yield nuke should have been dropped on Tora Bora. An issued statement "We've done less than this for the attack by the Empire of Japan over less loss in life and destruction of property. Try us again."

Now, there will be some that say "Ohmegerds, a NUKE!" But, it's $#@!ing Tora Bora.

Non-starter in this age and socio-milito-political climate.
America, American military, American Political leaders today are radically different from those of 1940s; progressive values of social justice (lives matter/metoo/reparations etc) have gripped America currently. Post Iraqi Freedom, use of WMDs is also associated with 'axis of evil' thanks to freedom programming. Numerous other examples of the radical shift from 1940s. Different thinking at the top in military/civilian leadership, there were none of 'diversity is our strength' thinking among top leadership then and levels of racial segregation in the military/civil society were acceptable; today culture of social justice is aggressively being enforced at all military levels. This airforce won't do WMDs on any population areas let alone those with people of color:

America's historic first minority Air Force chief of staff says he navigates 'two worlds' as an African American man
06/05/20
Gen. Charles Brown, commander of Pacific Air Forces and President Trump's nominee to be the next Air Force chief of staff, said in a video released Friday that he navigates "two worlds" as an African American and that he's "thinking about how I can make improvements" institutionally.
"As the commander of Pacific Air Forces, a senior leader in our Air Force, and an African American, many of you may be wondering what I'm thinking about the current events surrounding the tragic death of George Floyd," Brown said.
"I'm thinking about how my nomination provides some hope, but also comes with a heavy burden. I can't fix centuries of racism in our country, nor can I fix decades of discrimination that may have impacted members of our Air Force," he said.
Brown said he is thinking about how he can make improvements both "personally, professionally, and institutionally," so that current and future airmen "appreciate the value of diversity."
thehill.com/homenews/media/5...-as-an-african

U.S. Navy to ban all public displays of the Confederate flag
June 10

Protesters in Virginia behead Confederate monument statues ; Navy, Marines, NASCAR bans

Aug 13, 2021
Tucker Carlson: We must hold someone accountable for what is happening in Afghanistan

This is a bewildering moment, as we often note. What exactly is going on?
Remember the fall of Saigon?
If you were watching television in April of 1975, April 30th, you remember it well. It was the single most humiliating day in the history of the United States abroad. American officials fleeing in terror as a peasant army swept through the capital city, desperate civilians clinging to the struts of helicopters as they took off from the roof of the U.S. embassy. It was a complete disaster. It was a total ignominious defeat. We'd spent more than a decade in Vietnam and in the end, we lost. So no matter how you felt about that war, it was painful to see it happen and nobody wants to see it again. Last month, Joe Biden promised we never will see it again.
The Taliban has now isolated the capital, Kabul. At this point, they are 30 miles away. Analysts say Kabul could fall within days. Right now, thousands of American troops are on their way there to evacuate the US embassy.
The funny thing is Mark Milley didn't seem to see any of this coming. His real expertise, as he explained recently to Congress, is something called White rage. The Taliban, by contrast, are slightly tanner, so they didn't seem as dangerous as, say, the January 6th protesters. No, the Taliban voted for Donald Trump, so Mark Milley naturally underestimated them.
foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlsonhold-someone-accountable-afghanistan

Gen. Mark Milley: ‘I want to understand white rage, and I’m white’
June 23, 2021
Top general says the idea that the U.S. military is too ‘woke’ is ‘offensive’


Back then there was tolerance for internment camps like these:

today zero tolerance for such drastic steps.. but rumors about different kind of self restricting camps circulate widely off an on:
IT'S HERE: Covid Internment Camps Announced in America

Hypothetically in today's climate if any rogue elements did use WMDs harming large number of civilians of any color, on top of louder reparations calls compared to events from early last century, social justice/lives matter rioters like we have seen in major cities lately would probably be calling to hang upside down in Times Square those involved.

Majority of Dems already prefer Socialism now going by a poll out few days ago, sizeable GOP is drifting in that direction also. This is a socialist (self claimed 'oppressed people united') school of thought view:

Class forces behind U.S. genocide in Hiroshima, Nagasaki
John Catalinotto August 12, 2021

American public mindsets can change again possibly due to some swan event but currently things are different. This tangent reminded me of Operaion Iraqi Freedom era debates.

On an entirely unrelated side note that may also accentuate current climate, even super alpha Trump has stopped using mild metaphor of 'getting away with Time Square shooting' after what unfolded following Jan 6th DC riot inside the Peoples Building amid 'hang Mike Pence' slogans.



Related

Stunning results from a recent poll

Poll: Are there times when dropping WMD on cities with civilian populated buildings is justified

 

[Anti Federalist]

Here's something to chew on:

The USSR dissolved within two years following their final withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Their dissolution was caused by a number of things, some of which are currently plaguing us:

Massive debt load.

Untenable global empire.

Out of control military spending.

Widespread internal unrest and dissent.

 

[devil21]

Seeing how China has officially become very cozy with the Taliban, I get the feeling that the story we are being presented about the Taliban "overrunning" Afghan military is a mostly bs narrative. More likely is the "new" Taliban is publicly taking back it's role, but as the enforcer of China's will, not so much the enforcer of Islamic law. Kissinger is somewhere smiling.

 

[James_Madison_Lives]

Because they are Afghans they think fighting is fun.

 

[pcosmar]

Because they are Afghans they think fighting is fun.

Because they are Afghans they refuse to be subjugated.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

Insightful views above.. much more logical than dominant MSM narrative so far that starts to look almost fakish.

Also, 'meltdown' of NATO trained and sponsored ANA/government machinery is starting to look more and more like part of some planned exit strategy and almost instant meltdown is not as surprising as Biden team briefings appeared to suggest. If this theory is confirmed in coming weeks and Kabul also fell as other cities have, without any real resistance or fighting, and Talibans managed to transition current multi-ethnic forces into an inclusive state governing machinery respecting rights of all ethnic/religious minorities, US and world community would likely accept their government with as much ease with which US sat on a negotiating table with the Taliban (without current imported Afghan leaders being present per Taliban's pre-condition) and made agreements. Prez Trump had even wanted to host Taliban at Camp David but unfortunate election mishap removed his role in policy making.

Maybe too early to be optimistic about a relatively peaceful outcome but this could be first major episode of the new 'Woke' US Foreign Policy following recent social justice transformations of US civilian and military institutions. Given the entrenched tribal traditions like Pathunwali (so called revenge or justice tradition), there could be some settling of old scores and recent US/Western push to move Afghan allies out of there could be being driven by such concerns.

Afghans who helped US troops to be airlifted out of country
Pentagon Sends 3000 Troops to Secure Kabul Airport as US Evacuates Embassy Staff, Interpreters
Aug 13, 2021

US expands Afghan refugee program

 

[Dr.3D]

"Why guys in flip-flops with old rifles so quickly taking down US armed/trained Afghan forces? "

Probably because the US was training the guys wearing flip-flops too.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

"Why guys in flip-flops with old rifles so quickly taking down US armed/trained Afghan forces? "

Probably because the US was training the guys wearing flip-flops too.

Excellent point.

Usually coaches only coach one team at a time but these are not usual times.