Has Biden Bungled Afghanistan?

[Cow Poke]

How old is this memo?

14 August, 2021

[Ronson]

14 August, 2021

So it's obsolete. Had me worried for a moment.

[Cow Poke]

So it's obsolete. Had me worried for a moment.

Almost 3 weeks!

[Ronson]

Almost 3 weeks!

I see it now, you had included the date. I missed that.

[Cow Poke]

I see it now, you had included the date. I missed that.

I wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic, or were just playing or...

[seanD]

OK, this is interesting... from the official whitehouse.gov site...

Statement by President Joe Biden on Afghanistan

14 August, 2021

Over the past several days, I have been in close contact with my national security team to give them direction on how to protect our interests and values as we end our military mission in Afghanistan.

First, based on the recommendations of our diplomatic, military, and intelligence teams, I have authorized the deployment of approximately 5,000 U.S. troops to make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of U.S. personnel and other allied personnel, and an orderly and safe evacuation of Afghans who helped our troops during our mission and those at special risk from the Taliban advance.

Second, I have ordered our Armed Forces and our Intelligence Community to ensure that we will maintain the capability and the vigilance to address future terrorist threats from Afghanistan.

Third, I have directed the Secretary of State to support President Ghani and other Afghan leaders as they seek to prevent further bloodshed and pursue a political settlement. Secretary Blinken will also engage with key regional stakeholders.

Fourth, we have conveyed to the Taliban representatives in Doha, via our Combatant Commander, that any action on their part on the ground in Afghanistan, that puts U.S. personnel or our mission at risk there, will be met with a swift and strong U.S. military response.

Fifth, I have placed Ambassador Tracey Jacobson in charge of a whole-of-government effort to process, transport, and relocate Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants and other Afghan allies. Our hearts go out to the brave Afghan men and women who are now at risk. We are working to evacuate thousands of those who helped our cause and their families.

That is what we are going to do. Now let me be clear about how we got here.

America went to Afghanistan 20 years ago to defeat the forces that attacked this country on September 11th. That mission resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden over a decade ago and the degradation of al Qaeda. And yet, 10 years later, when I became President, a small number of U.S. troops still remained on the ground, in harm’s way, with a looming deadline to withdraw them or go back to open combat.

One of the most interesting aspects to me is the first paragraph ---- "I have been in close contact with my national security team to give them direction..."

Not to "gather information to make an informed decision", but to "give them direction".

The rest of the memo is a steaming pile of horsie poo, and I'm surprised they didn't scrub it.

It could work both ways. It could be proof Biden was calling the shots all along, or it could be a case where a prez brags about being in charge when he's not, until it turns to a mess. I still tend to lean towards the latter, because I find really hard to believe military brass just subserviently went along with any of his dementia addled ideas without some resistance and push-back against it. I'm actually surprised we haven't seen a military official step down and blow the whistle, like we saw with that one lower rank military guy (who was obviously out of the loop). What that tells me is that either the military brass is planning all this, or they're so inept and callous they could care less that this turned into a mess and marines' lives were lost because of it.

[Cow Poke]

It could work both ways. It could be proof Biden was calling the shots all along, or it could be a case where a prez brags about being in charge when he's not, until it turns to a mess. I still tend to lean towards the latter, because I find really hard to believe military brass just subserviently went along with any of his dementia addled ideas without some resistance and push-back against it. I'm actually surprised we haven't seen a military official step down and blow the whistle, like we saw with that one lower rank military guy (who was obviously out of the loop). What that tells me is that either the military brass is planning all this, or they're so inept and callous they could care less that this turned into a mess and marines' lives were lost because of it.

I think the leak this memo may be the beginning of a stream of more leaks.

[rogue06]

According to the memo, they are sending 5000 troops back into Afghanistan to ensure they can quickly respond to any Taliban threats in the future.

So much for withdrawing from the country.

Wasn't that more than there've been for awhile?

[Ronson]

I wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic, or were just playing or...

MM's wording sounded present tense. I read that first.

[Cow Poke]

Wasn't that more than there've been for awhile?

I think there had been 2,500, no?

[rogue06]

I think there had been 2,500, no?

That's what I heard.

So if this is correct we're about to send back twice as many as had been there before the disastrous withdrawal.

[Cow Poke]

That's what I heard.

So if this is correct we're about to send back twice as many as had been there before the disastrous withdrawal.

It's really hard to figure, because there were supposedly 2500 troops that Trump had left there, but the number was actually 3500, because 1000 were "off the books" as special forces, Army Rangers, and units of the Joint Special Operations Command.

As near as I can figure, Biden had started withdrawing troops (before US citizens and SIVs) from Bagram, then things started quickly going south, so he sent back 4,000 or 5000 depending on what numbers you use.

[Cow Poke]

OK, according to Forbes, it looks like Biden had drawn down the troops in Afghanistan to 1,000. (possibly the additional "off the books" 1,000 elsewhere)
He sent back 3,000 troops to backup the 1,000 that were left there, than an additional 1,000 from the 82nd Airborne Division.

So, 2,500 - 1,500 = 1,000, then add 3,000 plus 1,000 for a total of 5,000, then another 1,000 for 6,000.

So, more twice as many as Trump had there at the end of his term, but not enough, according to Biden, to hold Bagram AND evacuate all of the US Citizens, green card holders, translators, and SIV persons -- um, no, just US Citizens who WANT to get out, and we'll ask the Taliban to allow the others to come to the airport. OK, not even all the US Citizens who WANT to get out, but it's their own durn fault, because "we warned them 15 times".

[rogue06]

OK, according to Forbes, it looks like Biden had drawn down the troops in Afghanistan to 1,000. (possibly the additional "off the books" 1,000 elsewhere)
He sent back 3,000 troops to backup the 1,000 that were left there, than an additional 1,000 from the 82nd Airborne Division.

So, 2,500 - 1,500 = 1,000, then add 3,000 plus 1,000 for a total of 5,000, then another 1,000 for 6,000.

So, more twice as many as Trump had there at the end of his term, but not enough, according to Biden, to hold Bagram AND evacuate all of the US Citizens, green card holders, translators, and SIV persons -- um, no, just US Citizens who WANT to get out, and we'll ask the Taliban to allow the others to come to the airport. OK, not even all the US Citizens who WANT to get out, but it's their own durn fault, because "we warned them 15 times".

While repeatedly telling them that there was no rush followed by telling them not to come to the airport

[Mountain Man]

USA Today "fact checked" the infamous pictures of Joe checking his watch. At first they claimed it was "partly false" and said that he only checked his watched at the conclusion of the ceremony. After being called out by people who were actually there and saw Joe's disrespectful attitude with their own eyes, USA Today changed its rating to "missing context" saying something to the effect of, "Okay, maybe he did check his watch during the ceremony, but we really don't know how many times he did it."

https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/...sfer-ceremony/