0:55 Secretary of State Blinken: "We were in Afghanistan for one overriding purpose; to deal with the 'folks' who attacked us on 9/11. That's why we went there 20 years ago. And over these 20 years we brought Bin Laden to justice, uh, we vastly diminished the threat from Al Qaeda." I'm on his side, but Jesus, man! Barbara Lee was the only member of Congress who knew it was wrong. And did we deal with the "folks" (a misnomer it ever there was one)? Blinken seems to gloss over some important things that occurred over 20 years. a. Bush and Cheney let Bin Laden escape to Pakistan so they could invade Iraq. Then 10 years later, it took the CIA under Obama to finally get the MF! After that the Arab Spring quickly devolved into Libya, ISIS, Syria, etc. So we leave where we came in, and the Taliban escort us out. The USSR learned the Afghan lesson long before we did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBE9OqILRrk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upn8oUy5xPk
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Keelai (36155)
4 years ago
The news has been horrible about explaining what had been happening in Afghanistan until now.
*Afghan soldiers weren't being paid because their officers stole money.
*Ghani's government was corrupt.
*The U.S. backed people like warlords who committed atrocities.
*Americans were foreign invaders with different values who installed a corrupt, puppet government. Not everyone on the planet wants to be westernized let alone invaded.
*U.S. Intelligence was completely clueless.
*U.S. is bad at nation-building.
*Most of the Middle East interference was about controlling their oil.
The Taliban was created when Afghan refugees sent their sons to be educated in schools run by extremists rather than keep them in refugee camps. Hindsight is 20/20, but it would have been worthwhile for the U.S. to invests in schools which were moderate and taught vocations.
U.S. gave the Taliban Stinger missiles which helped them win against the Soviets.
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Adam60z (3781)
4 years ago
Most of the Taliban now weren't even born when 9/11 happened. I.e. not the same as they were. It's not that intelligence was clueless, e.g. they knew about 9/11 beforehand, but the rivalry between the FBI and CIA, the latter including Fascist Michael Scheuer, ensured it would not be stopped under the Cheney Bush Junta. It probably would have under Gore.
Maybe John Walker Lindh can return to be the new President.
Anyway leaving is the least worst option after the whole Middle East has been destroyed by Bush, Cheney, yes Obama's miscalculations, and the former guy.
Actually Biden opposed Obama's intervention in Libya and Syria; because he had already learned the lesson.
But everyone's is now hoping the new version of the Taliban wont be as bad as the old one. And maybe they'll get rid of ISIS.
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Keelai (36155)
4 years ago
I meant CIA is clueless now re: the quick defeat.
This new Taliban cares about money and making economic deals which may temper their more extreme behavior especially in regard to women.
Democracy is considered placing humans above God/Allah which is the reason there is opposition to it. Too many westernized talking heads on the news and as advisors in government.
Americans continue to see ourselves as liberators or saviors instead of as foreign invaders. Even Biden's stupid remark about how the Afghans wouldn't fight for themselves. They did! They just removed foreign invaders and their influence from their country.
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