^^^Some of the systems have already been shipped out of Afghanistan.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Hayzoos Kristo! Man, where have you been?

Hey brother; good to see you too.

I’m here … just hanging tight/loose depending … funkiness abides

quote:

The execution video, posted to Twitter....

So Twitter management continues to allow Taliban access to the platform, while banning an ex-US president. It's very clear at this point who Twitter stands with.

quote:

What can the Taliban do with the aircraft left behind, planes and helicopters are complicated. Can they actually operate them and if so can they maintain them for very long?

Barter and sell, get outside help to learn systems on how to operate. Effectiveness depends on many things, including did we leave enough munitions to make the things left behind mission capable.

My guess is line them up for a show of force and sell them off to others is the game plan..

This is too screwed up to be a mistake, the question is what's the endgame....

Rumor has it that the State Department is going to contract with Spirit Airlines to shuttle Americans back from Afghanistan. (Joke)

Biden never misses an opportunity to use his dead son Beau in his speeches or interviews. He did it twice today and also the other day with George Stepinahalf. No politician has ever made as much hay with family “tragedies” than Biden has.

I'm hearing people on NPR starting to question his credibility and competence now.
When certain supporters started to question if Nixon's future was when he had to throw in the towel and he started to realize it was over.
Unfortunately there isn't a more credible replacement standing on deck for this clown show. Just one with a better memory.

quote:

Originally posted by BMR:
Biden never misses an opportunity to use his dead son Beau in his speeches or interviews. He did it twice today and also the other day with George Stepinahalf. No politician has ever made as much hay with family “tragedies” than Biden has.

While I agree with the first part, I'd argue that Ted Kennedy is in the running for the second part. He gets negative bonus points since he even caused a family tragedy while claiming victim-hood.
Both are empty shirts that have somehow made a career on our nickel by fooling a certain part of the electorate.

Some serious shit goin' on, and rightfully so. Sometimes you gotta blow off a little steam before you press on, it's Friday with the weekend on deck, so a moment of levity.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9S9zst8j6I

Two nights ago, French police escorted out of the embassy in the green zone of Kabul the French, Afghan and international families to whom xx had offered shelter. The diplomatic and consular team of the embassy has taken care of them at the airport and they have been evacuated.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1428225195253407744

I think the "xx" is the french flag

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:
The cave dwellers can use the vehicles and rifles and crew served weapons and explosives, but they cannot maintain the high tech stuff and aircraft.

You best believe a bunch of those 300k or whatever actual number were simply Taliban plants that got free training. They know full well how to maintain that stuff and if they don't, they'll figure it out. Hillbilly ingenuity isn't limited to just us rednecks. You are right though, the smart play would be to sell that stuff to others that hate us so they can keep financing this idiocy, which hopefully doesn't happen. I'd rather see them take the chance of flying. Easy to knock a bird out of the air. Much harder to pinpoint a platoon of guys with full auto, especially if spread out on a hillside.

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:
My question comes admittedly from ignorance so please be gentle….

What can the Taliban do with the aircraft left behind, planes and helicopters are complicated. Can they actually operate them and if so can they maintain them for very long?

My thought is they would do best to sell them to more sophisticated psychopaths like Iran and China for the purpose of reverse engineering the tech. Is this their best/only option to get some value from the hardware left behind?

I expect they can use the small arms and such until they run out of nato ammo….

There's very little 'tech' that the ANA received. The MRAPs were never coming home, they're largely impractical as an assault vehicle or, battle-taxi BUT, they can take some hits; maintenance, terrain suitability and fuel demands will be the undoing of these vehicles. We'll soon see Taliban possessed MRAPs overturned on the road or, at the bottom of a ravine. Toyota Hilux are the #1 vehicle there, all the maintenance guys and the supply chains out of Pakistan and int'l market is already established.

The helicopters they received are old tech: remember we sold China Blackhawks back in the 80's, their knock-off version is called the Z-20, the Afghan Air Force got refurbed A-models. Maintenance will be the undoing of these machines same also for the remaining MD500's. If they're smart, they'll sell them to Iran (the local guys will probably fuck around with things and degrade their value) and attempt to exchange them for some Russian copters that their 'pilots' are more familiar with and their maintenance demands are comparatively low. The drones that were lost, we'll see, it'll probably get sold to Iran or China for cash.

Communications gear, I hope they didn't outfit the ANA with MBITR radios, not sure what the latest version is but, that's really my biggest concern. We all know the AR/M4 platform requires more TLC than an AK; I can see plenty of impressionable Taliban guys grabbing an M4 for the novelty of it but, after awhile start lamenting for an AK.

Brits are getting their people out. French, the same.

We are on the sidelines because of this dumb son of a bitch and his band of clowns.

<drift>I'll no more make the old "French" jokes.

I always did in jest, similar to poking fun at other military branches, but no more.

Out of respect at their latest actions.</drift>

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
<drift>I'll no more make the old "French" jokes.

I always did in jest, similar to poking fun at other military branches, but no more.

Out of respect at their latest actions.</drift>

The French at least put up a fight first.

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
Graphic: Taliban Execute Police Chief, Intensify Hunt For Afghans Who Worked With Americans

And looks like they used their brand spanking new M4's for that evil deed.

Why would you even watch that?

https://twitter.com/i/status/1428784795937611781

video at link

biden says “no circumstance” where American citizens have been blocked from Kabul airport


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

not true

video at link

https://twitter.com/i/status/1428786222990778370


ABC News .
@DavidMuir : "The president said he has no intelligence that the Americans have not been able to get [to the Kabul airport]. The question, obviously—does that square with reporting on ground?"

@IanPannell : "I mean—just totally not." "It just seems the reality and the rhetoric are miles apart,"

"I'm not quite sure what advice the president is receiving. But the truth on the ground is that these people who are in fear of their lives can't get through."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a briefing call with House lawmakers just now said Americans have been beaten by the Taliban in Kabul, according to multiple people on the call. Austin called it “unacceptable.”

quote:

"The president said he has no intelligence

Cherry picked that gem.