▲
13
1
▼

Afghan chaos undercuts Biden's promise of competence


 invite response                
2021 Aug 18, 2:48pm   161,840 views  1,308 comments

by RWSGFY   ➕follow (4)   💰tip   ignore  






....
The shambolic unravelling of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan comes from a yet to be written textbook of "how to lose at everything". Warnings hadn't been heeded, intelligence was clearly totally inadequate, planning was lamentable, execution woeful.

Let's just focus in on one thing - although there are any number that are worthy of examination.
The withdrawal came during the "fighting season" - a phrase I have to say I have always found rather odd. But in Afghanistan there is a fighting season which starts in spring - and then in winter, when the country freezes over, there is a time when the Taliban go home to their tribal homelands. Did no-one think that it might have been better to have ordered the withdrawal for the dead of winter when Taliban forces weren't there, poised to fill the vacuum?

The end result might have been the same - a Taliban takeover - but it would have almost certainly led to a more orderly drawdown. Yet the Biden administration wanted an eye-catching date. They wanted the withdrawal completed by 11 September. Twenty years on from 9/11 - an artificial, self-imposed deadline.

...

Biden's election campaign could be boiled down to three messages to distinguish himself from Donald Trump. First, he would be more empathetic. He would be more competent. And instead of "America First", it would be replaced by the mantra "America is back".
But in his address yesterday, there wasn't a whole lot of empathy towards the thousands of Afghans who've helped Americans these past 20 years. On competence, even his biggest cheerleaders would struggle to say the withdrawal of American troops has been anything other than shambolic.
And after the bewildering events of the past few days, how exactly is America back?

...

But on the policy itself, Joe Biden is utterly defiant. He summoned up his inner Harry Truman and made clear in his speech that the buck stops with him. He was, however, happy to distribute blame in much the same way that a muck spreader disperses manure in all directions. The Afghan leadership weren't up to it, the Afghan armed forces had no fight in them; Donald Trump had negotiated a bad deal.

...

A fascinating nugget from a briefing that's just been given by Joe Biden's National Security Adviser. Since the fall of Kabul, Jake Sullivan revealed, Biden hadn't spoken to another world leader. Wasn't that just a bit surprising, given that there were a lot of other nations - including Britain - who'd committed vast resources to Afghanistan?

...

When the G7 gathered in Cornwall and the Nato nations met in Brussels the sense of relief was palpable among the prime ministers and presidents that a more outward looking American president was in charge. But given what has unfolded - how America has been humiliated, how Joe Biden embarked on a policy he was cautioned against by these leaders - there is now a good deal more wariness.
And who will feel they have gained most from America's departure - apart from the Taliban, of course? Why, three countries near Afghanistan - Russia, Iran and China. I'm not sure that is what Joe Biden had in mind when he said after his inauguration that "America is back".



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58252174?source=patrick.net

« First        Comments 82 - 121 of 1,308       Last »     Search these comments

82   ChauvinsKnee   2021 Sep 5, 9:34am  

HeadSet says
MisdemeanorRebellionNoCoupForYou says
Our Incompetent Woke Military: Three Star General Posts Photo She Thinks Are U.S. Troops Leaving Afghanistan–Turns Out They’re British

Even more telling. If you have a gathering that large of US soldiers, you are going to see a substantial number of Blacks.


The first thing I noticed is bullpup rifles - US military doesn't field anything like that.
85   AmericanKulak   2021 Sep 5, 12:02pm  

Patrick says
https://notthebee.com/article/uh-oh-biden-official-samantha-power-photographed-on-amtrak-train-without-a-mask-in-violation-of-federal-law







Massive witch, married to the a Warlock, Sunstein. Who wrote a book about "Nudging" people to better decisions, which was largely panned as "Not differentiating between nudges and shoves"
87   Patrick   2021 Sep 7, 9:52am  

Afghan Interpreter Who Helped Rescue Biden in 2008 Left Behind After U.S. Exit

Mohammed, stranded in Afghanistan and hiding from the Taliban, makes a White House appeal: ‘Don’t forget me here’

The White House responded to a WSJ story about an Afghan interpreter for the U.S. Army, who in 2008 helped rescue then-Sen. Joe Biden and others during a snowstorm in Afghanistan. Mohammed was unable to leave the country before the U.S. exit and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that his service would be honored.

By Dion Nissenbaum
Updated Aug. 31, 2021 5:22 pm ET

Thirteen years ago, Afghan interpreter Mohammed helped rescue then-Sen. Joe Biden and two other senators stranded in a remote Afghanistan valley after their helicopter was forced to land in a snowstorm. Now, Mohammed is asking President Biden to save him.

“Hello Mr. President: Save me and my family,” Mohammed, who asked not to use his full name while in hiding, told The Wall Street Journal as the last Americans flew out of Kabul on Monday. “Don’t forget me here.”


https://www.wsj.com/articles/afghan-interpreter-who-helped-rescue-biden-in-2008-left-behind-after-u-s-exit-11630429285
88   Patrick   2021 Sep 8, 9:45am  

https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/bring_all_the_troops_home_stop_policing_the_globe_and_put_an_end_to_endless_wars


It’s time that we stop policing the globe, stop occupying other countries, and stop waging endless wars.

That’s not what’s going to happen, of course.


Good essay though.
89   Patrick   2021 Sep 9, 9:45am  

https://babylonbee.com/news/cdc-says-a-new-covid-variant-may-be-needed-to-effectively-bury-afghanistan-news

CDC Says A New COVID Variant May Be Needed To Effectively Bury Afghanistan News
90   zzyzzx   2021 Sep 9, 9:53am  

Afghan chaos undercuts Biden's promise of competence

I don't recall Biden promising any amount of competence??? Anyone got a link?
91   Ceffer   2021 Sep 9, 10:12am  

zzyzzx says
I don't recall Biden promising any amount of competence??? Anyone got a link?

I think he meant 'incontinence'.
92   RWSGFY   2021 Sep 9, 10:14am  

zzyzzx says
Afghan chaos undercuts Biden's promise of competence

I don't recall Biden promising any amount of competence??? Anyone got a link?


All the fucking talking heads promised that.
93   Patrick   2021 Sep 9, 5:21pm  



I know the guy and he said it's OK to keep his name in it.
94   Patrick   2021 Sep 12, 4:44pm  

https://notthebee.com/article/report-the-biden-administration-said-it-droned-an-isis-terrorist-but-it-was-actually-just-an-aid-worker

The Biden administration last month said it had fired on and killed what was believed to be an ISIS associate driving a car full of explosives in Afghanistan; the strike was symbolic for being the last missile fired by the U.S. over the course of its 20 years in Afghanistan. Yet a bombshell New York Times report argues that the drone strike killed not a terrorist but a worker for a U.S. aid group


This also undermines any "promise of competence".
95   HeadSet   2021 Sep 12, 7:42pm  

Patrick says
et a bombshell New York Times report argues that the drone strike killed not a terrorist but a worker for a U.S. aid group

And the aid worker's children....
96   ChauvinsKnee   2021 Sep 12, 8:56pm  

Patrick says
https://notthebee.com/article/report-the-biden-administration-said-it-droned-an-isis-terrorist-but-it-was-actually-just-an-aid-worker

The Biden administration last month said it had fired on and killed what was believed to be an ISIS associate driving a car full of explosives in Afghanistan; the strike was symbolic for being the last missile fired by the U.S. over the course of its 20 years in Afghanistan. Yet a bombshell New York Times report argues that the drone strike killed not a terrorist but a worker for a U.S. aid group


This also undermines any "promise of competence".


Anything they touch immediately turns into shit. It's like a reverse King Midas. It's almost comical.
97   richwicks   2021 Sep 12, 9:41pm  

ChauvinsKnee says
It's almost comical.


What do you mean "almost"?

We're in clown world. We've been in it for 20 years. Our government has no compunction about lying, what's funny is people still believe it.

Where's that weapons of mass destruction program in Iraq? I thought that was the lie that would ultimately bring the government down, but NOPE. The lies will just get bigger and bigger until nobody puts up with it anymore. We have an entirely illegitimate government - people just don't recognize it yet.

Our media lies to us, our government lies to us, our intelligence agencies lie to us, our DOJ lies to us. This is because they are blatant criminals. If they told the truth, there'd be bodies hanging from lampposts tomorrow. I'm used to this, just feed them more rope. Truth is treason in the empire of lies. Well, I guess I'm a traitor.

I'm seriously amazed people still have any faith in our government, that they believe them at this point. How can anybody believe anything they say? Biden is the most popular presidential candidate as a percentage of the eligible vote in all of US history. Do you really think that is true? A man that couldn't get 50 people to show up to a campaign event? It's fucking hilarious.
98   Eric Holder   2021 Sep 13, 10:27am  

richwicks says
ChauvinsKnee says
It's almost comical.


What do you mean "almost"?


Because really it's more scary than truly comical?
99   richwicks   2021 Sep 13, 10:34am  

Eric Holder says
richwicks says
ChauvinsKnee says
It's almost comical.


What do you mean "almost"?


Because really it's more scary than truly comical?


No, it's entirely comical.

What did people EXPECT to happen?

We have a completely corrupt, incompetent, establishment, that couldn't give a FUCK about the people in Afghanistan and have been fighting a war for 20 years with NO intention of winning it, in order to rake in government contracts and make money.

We allow these fucking mother fuckers to do this. You want this kind of crap to stop? Get rid of the assholes in power or it's going to continue.
100   Patrick   2021 Sep 13, 12:47pm  

richwicks says
Get rid of the assholes in power or it's going to continue.




They have the support of about half of the population.

That's the real problem.
101   richwicks   2021 Sep 13, 1:54pm  

Patrick says
richwicks says
Get rid of the assholes in power or it's going to continue.




They have the support of about half of the population.

That's the real problem.


No, they don't have support of 1/2 the population.

It might be 20% of the population. Do you know anybody that would say "yes, I approve of my government, and I'm happy with what they are doing"?

Force is what keeps our government in power. It's stick only, there's no carrot for most people.
102   Patrick   2021 Sep 14, 2:05pm  

https://notthebee.com/article/trump-i-guarantee-china-and-russia-already-have-our-apache-helicopters-and-theyre-taking-them-apart-to-find-out-exactly-how-theyre-made

"Now I'm saying, ‘How can they take this equipment?' And I guarantee that China and Russia already have our Apache helicopters and they're taking them apart to find out exactly how they're made. They're the best in the world by far. And they're taking them apart so they can make the exact same equipment. They're very good at that. It's a disgrace.
105   Patrick   2021 Sep 17, 10:06am  

https://notthebee.com/article/diddid-biden-forget-the-name-of-the-australian-prime-minister-during-a-major-press-conference


"I want to thank ... uh ... that fella Down Under. Thank you very much, pal," Biden said.

This is really not good. At all.
107   Eric Holder   2021 Sep 20, 11:22am  

Patrick says
https://notthebee.com/article/diddid-biden-forget-the-name-of-the-australian-prime-minister-during-a-major-press-conference


"I want to thank ... uh ... that fella Down Under. Thank you very much, pal," Biden said.

This is really not good. At all.


FINALLY THERE IS AN ADULT IN THE ROOM!
108   Patrick   2021 Sep 21, 12:59pm  

https://spectatorworld.com/topic/joe-biden-presidency-afghanistan-free-fall/


Biden’s presidency has a very real chance of completely foundering within its first year. After a promising start where he inherited a vaccination process that was already in progress, albeit briefly, under Trump, his vaccine strategy has stalled to the point of him now demanding mandates on private businesses, a step he assured the electorate he would not take. Last Friday, an FDA panel bucked Biden’s booster rollout program, which was slated to begin this week.

That was one of many self-inflicted wounds that Biden suffered at the end of last week as he took off for the Delaware coast for a long weekend of bike-riding and ignoring reporters. In the span of that single afternoon, the Pentagon also revealed that a retaliatory drone strike for the deaths of 13 US service-members at Kabul airport did not kill any Isis-K terrorists, as Biden and his State Department had claimed, but instead killed an innocent US-linked aid worker, as well as seven children. Neither Biden nor his press secretary Jen Psaki have answered questions on this matter. Their strategic silence is all we need to evaluate how they think this looks – and they are correct.

Along with the self-imposed Afghanistan debacle, which has created an enormous refugee crisis in a foreign region, Biden has caused another one on our southern border. Drone footage and photos splashed all over social media this weekend showed thousands of migrants, some believed to be Haitian, crossing the Rio Grande river into Del Rio, Texas, unabated. They had to be corralled under the Del Rio Bridge, with several even crafting makeshift tents and shelters.

Biden promised that America would be back. Instead we’re getting his back, as he turns his away from the microphone every time one is placed in front of him. His ‘strategy’ has also not helped with allies, as France recalled their ambassador over a secret deal between the US and Australia that saw Washington renege (according to the French) on an agreement to sell nuclear submarine technology to them and not the Aussies (crikey!). I’m not going to pretend I understand all the particulars of why the French are upset with us this time, but recalling an ambassador sure sounds serious for an administration that prided itself on being the adult on the world stage.
110   Patrick   2021 Sep 22, 9:35am  

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2021-09-21/prediction-deep-state-will-toss-joseph-biden-out-old-casserole-within-year


Prediction: The Deep State Will Toss Joseph Biden Out Like an Old Casserole Within a Year
BY TDB
TUESDAY, SEP 21, 2021 - 14:18
111   Patrick   2021 Sep 22, 9:57am  

https://greenwald.substack.com/p/new-proof-emerges-of-the-biden-family?token=patrick.net

New Proof Emerges of the Biden Family Emails: a Definitive Account of the CIA/Media/BigTech Fraud
An axis of the CIA, Big Tech and the DNC-allied wing of the corporate media spread an absolute lie in the weeks before the 2020 election. We now have definitive proof. ...

A young reporter for Politico, Ben Schreckinger, has published a new book entitled "The Bidens: Inside the First Family’s Fifty-Year Rise to Power.” To his great credit, he spent months investigating the key documents published by The New York Post and found definitive proof that these emails and related documents are indisputably authentic. His own outlet, Politico, was the first to publish the CIA lie that this was "Russian disinformation,” but on Tuesday — without acknowledging their role in spreading that lie — they summarized Schreckinger's findings this way: the book “finds evidence that some of the purported Hunter Biden laptop material is genuine, including two emails at the center of last October’s controversy.” In his book, the reporter recounts in these passages just some of the extensive work he did to obtain this proof: ...

Given what I regard as the unparalleled gravity of what was done here — widespread media deceit toward millions of American voters in the weeks before a presidential election based on a CIA lie, along with brute censorship of the story by Big Tech — and given that so much of what was done here took place on television, we produced this morning what I regard as the definitive video report of this scandal. I realize this report is longer than the standard video — it is just over an hour — but I really believe that it is vital, particularly with the emergence of this new indisputable proof, to take a comprehensive look at how the intelligence community, in partnership with Big Tech and the corporate media, disseminated massive lies and disinformation, using censorship and other manipulative techniques, to shape the outcome of what was a close election. (We will very shortly institute our new feature of producing transcripts for all videos above ten minutes in length, but I really hope that as many people as can do so will watch this video report).
112   Patrick   2021 Sep 29, 10:01am  

https://nitter.pussthecat.org/Not_the_Bee/status/1442916247012720643


Top generals told lawmakers under oath that they advised President Joe Biden early this year to keep several thousand troops in Afghanistan — directly contradicting the president’s comments in August that no one warned him not to withdraw troops from the country.
113   Eric Holder   2021 Sep 29, 11:36am  

Patrick says
https://nitter.pussthecat.org/Not_the_Bee/status/1442916247012720643


Top generals told lawmakers under oath that they advised President Joe Biden early this year to keep several thousand troops in Afghanistan — directly contradicting the president’s comments in August that no one warned him not to withdraw troops from the country.


"Biden lied - people died!"
114   Patrick   2021 Sep 30, 5:32am  

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/congressional-testimony-on-deadly-afghan-drone-strike-contradicts-records_4022899.html?utm_source=patrick.net&utm_medium=patrick.net&utm_campaign=patrick.net


Congressional Testimony on Deadly Afghan Drone Strike Contradicts Records
BY KEN SILVA September 29, 2021

Three of the U.S. military’s top officials have told Congress that they realized within hours that a botched Aug. 29 drone strike had killed innocent civilians—contradicting earlier military statements about what the government knew in the aftermath of the incident.


The Biden administration is murderously incompetent.
115   HeadSet   2021 Sep 30, 9:51am  

There have a new lie to try and defend Biden's botched withdrawal - Trump's Fault:

It came when Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained why he and the other chiefs—the top officers of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines—all agreed that we needed to pull out by Aug. 31. The Doha agreement, which President Trump had signed with the Taliban in early 2020 (with no participation by the Afghan government), required a total withdrawal of foreign forces. If U.S. troops had stayed beyond August, Milley said, the Taliban would have resumed the fighting, and, in order to stave off the attacks, “we would have needed 30,000 troops” and would have suffered “many casualties.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/we-now-know-why-biden-was-in-a-hurry-to-exit-afghanistan/ar-AAOXZpB?ocid=msedgntp
119   Patrick   2021 Oct 20, 10:44am  

https://babylonbee.com/news/arms-race-heats-up-just-as-china-reveals-space-nukes-america-responds-with-trans-admiral





WORLD—The arms race is heating up between the U.S. and China. Just last week, China revealed its brand new "space nukes", which are capable of easily nuking any country on the planet. The United States responded swiftly to the provocation by unveiling the world's first trans admiral.

"China, you've been warned," said Biden to a Chinese food delivery person he mistook for President Xi. "Our transgender admiral is fully armed and operational. If you cross us, we will unleash the full fire and fury of this deadly weapon upon you, make no mistake."

Military experts say that while a space nuke is somewhat impressive, it pales in comparison to the awesome power of diversity. "With Rachel Levine serving as admiral, nations around the world will bow before the terrifying might of our transgender empowerment," said General Milley. "We must pursue peace through strength. Strength of inclusivity."

Biden insisted that there is no weapon yet conceived that can top Admiral Levine and that he will gladly accept China's preemptive surrender.

Admiral Levine was not available for comment as she was getting her prostate examined.

« First        Comments 82 - 121 of 1,308       Last »     Search these comments

Please register to comment:

api   best comments   contact   latest images   memes   one year ago   random   suggestions   gaiste