Ten to fifteen thousand US citizens stranded in Afghanistan. Unbelievable!

Depending on which source:

Fox says 15,000

Which was largely based on the Washington Post article:

Yet another article from the Washington Post says 10,000. Exerpt:

________________________________

Some observations as an outsider. The most telling thing about this whole saga is watching how 90% of Americans are partisan and just attack each other from either side. GOP is in full attack mode, and the Biden administration is in full spin and semi- blame mode

You seem to have a whole lot of civilians throughout Afghanistan, and nobody even knows the correct amount?!

Most accurate information seems behind a media firewall. And most of it is partisan in one way or another. Why can't transparent information be obtained?

The notion that one side has messed up is just hilarious, though. Biden inherited a pre-arranged deal, including with the Taliban, 2500 Troops (with up to 15k US citizens that we are just finding out about - not including your Afghan friends) and a deadline that was nowhere near enough time.

Pretty much the only guaranteed remedy once the Taliban started their blitzkrieg would have been a massive full reengagement to assist and or replace the Afghan troops that didn't want to fight. And then basically force Americans and their allies to leave (which I have read is another problem. Many didn't want to go and some are changing their minds too late. But if any of them lose their lives, the administration is responsible, right??). Now of course if you successfully drive back the Taliban, many of those citizens want to stay to continue to work in Afghanistan. They only want to leave when the s*** hits the fan.

In case anyone thinks that reengagement is the right way to solve this, I wonder how the Taliban would be behaving towards Americans throughout Afghanistan at the moment if you had manned up the barracks and started directly assisting/replacing the flailing Afghan army? I.e broken the ceasefire.

You might just get away with this with the skin of your teeth, but America you've blown this one good and proper!

 

Hey, don't try to argue with some nuance and deeper thought. It's much easier to claim "It's Biden's fault", or "It's Trump's fault".

I would think that America should show some introspection and come to the realization that nation building or bringing democracy through the barrel of a gun are just not going to work. However, there is not a chance that it will be admitted that the US foreign policy that pretty much was adopted since WWII was one BIG mistake. If someone would actually come out and say that, they'd be crucified as unpatriotic.

 

Like I said, reckless racist joe ****ed this up and is costing Americans thier lives.

 

I checked out of this for good when our soldiers were prosecuted for beating up Afghan "allies" to stop them from raping little boys. Note that these child raping "allies" are now the people that we are expected to take in as refugees. Imagine being an American soldier stationed in Afghanistan and listening to the screams of boys as they are raped by your allies and it being a crime for you to intervene. I have read a few articles about it and the American soldiers who were forced to endure it were completely demoralized about America and our military.

The corruption, incompetence and pure evil of our federal government is swiftly rising to be on the par of any 3rd rate autocracy.

 

Hmmm I think most are saying that since most supported getting out. What most are appalled by is the way they chose to leave. You don't leave innocent people behind just because your ready to pull the trigger. We are now in the worst possible situation that is dire for Americans over there. What's even worse is how incompetent our government was to the possible scenario, the response, and even the explanations in the aftermath. There is zero logic in this, a f'ing high school grad could see the danger yet somebody, somewhere in the Whitehouse made this decision and thought it was the right thing to do. It was either Joe or someone made the call that doesn't have the authority. I simply can't get past our own damn military leaving Americans to fend for themselves, it's truly inexcusable and should be for every American regardless of party affiliation. I guarantee you there was no Administration nor highly ranked military family member left behind...

 

Yes, and imagine how many countries could get away with that. Imagine, for example if Germany went around the world nation building?

Also, of course there are other countries involved. Australia is sending planes and we will take some refugees. Although we only took 26 people on a flight out that could take 128. Bizarre.

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...istan-on-evacuation-flight-with-space-for-128

 

Didn't read the OP, did you? Because the point of leaving Americans behind in the context of pulling out of Afghanistan was addressed with more nuance than the reflexive "Biden bad" rhetoric. Go ahead and read the OP, if you want to have a REAL discussion, instead of partisan mudflinging.

 

Yes I think there has been incompetence, but I don't think it's that simple either. Somebody somewhere has to judge what happens if you try and rescue everyone. Whether the benefit outweighs the cost. I don't think you can.

And it also assumes cooperation of the people that you're trying to rescue. Did you see the point that I made? You beat back the enemy to provide a clear way and then the people you're trying to rescue say oh actually, it's okay here now I think I'll stay.

Australia is much firmer about how its citizens behave overseas and their movements than the US.

 

I did and I responded to your post. Nothing partisan at all on my post, nothing. This is as straight forward as it gets. I know some want it to be partisan but it's a failure of leadership of our government period, I don't give a damn who's in office.

 

If you don't give those citizens that want out a clear path than it's a failure on all fronts. Those places were safe and under control the day the military left, now they are not. Is it a risk, sure but our country is not built on leaving innocents behind to avoid conflict.

 

It parallels the Christian bible. Here, let me force MY will on you (to make you think you have "free" will) and I'll kill you if you screw it up. ;-0

 

It's a dysfunctional family. How in the world do we get to dictate how OTHER countries should be when we're not so spectacular? Finger pointing (other countries, the other party, the Taliban, the X, the Y, the Z).

We need to mind our business and FIX our stuff.

 

15k of citizens seems awfully high. Not sure what they were waiting around for.

 

This deal you mention did not include the Taliban forces taking over that country.
The Americans left in Afghanistan would have departed were that the deal.

Biden the loser assured Americans the Taliban would not be able to take the country over.

 

General George Washington fought an empire and did not quit. And he did it with gun barrels.

Taiwan is crapping their pants. Thinking they will not be supported.

 

Something that I have noted...the usual parade of democrat hack politicians and leftist talking heads rushing to the media to defend the Bugout Biden administration is completely missing. Not a single serious dem has been on display since this started. Pelosi lauded Biden's pitiful attempt of a speech was it and there was universal laughter at that conceit. This has left the GOP and conservative voices to dominate the media while the dems hide.

Thank You Biden!

 

If the media is reporting it correctly the Taliban has now sealed off access to the airport making it next to impossible for anyone to now reach it.

 

Not completely inaccurate, I have to say.

Could be the opposite. Resources freed up to fight more important battles.

 

I thought the speech itself was reasonable.

 

Having been assured that the Taliban was months away from taking Kabul and then being told to shelter in place is why they are where they are.

 

God knows. Bizarre just to be reading this today.

 

I'll admit I like the protective US. I think the holier-than-thou has been laid on a bit thick, though...

 

Maybe they were forgotten because they are citizens! Even before this, citizens appeared to have less value to politicians.

 

Anyone waiting for the last minute to get out of Afghanistan isn't thinking correctly or their business there may be questionable. Anyone with half a brain should have been ready to leave the moment after the deal was signed.

FYI, I don't think we should have left at all.

 

It just didn't address any of the actual issues, you know, awkward things like getting tens of thousand of folk out and the complete lack of an actual plan to do it.