Biden is shooting his shot at Afghanistan withdrawal, will it work?

[Ark]

Biden Throws Down The Gauntlet On Pulling Troops Out Of Afghanistan Ahead Of 9/11 Anniversary

The White House says the bulk of American troops in Afghanistan will leave in the coming months regardless of conditions on the ground.

www.thedrive.com

File under "heard that before". Will it really happen this time, or will it get sandbagged another four years like under Trump?

 

[Twangbanger]

No, it won't stick. The United States operates on two immutable principles:

1. Cheap Labor
2. Neverending War

The Military/Intelligence Complex just spent 4 years leaking classified information to the Press, in an effort to undermine a duly and democratically elected civilian President, among other reasons because he had the temerity to criticize #2.

And eventually, they succeeded.
We are Myanmar with nicer stuff.

One of the Great Lies of America is that the Joint Chiefs exist to advise the President. The reality is, they are the Pentagram's tentacles of control over him. They probably have more Journalist names in their Rolodex than the President's Press Secretary does. Joe Biden knows what side his bread is buttered on, and wants to stay on the correct side of the Joint Chiefs. He will make noises about leaving AssStan, like Obama did about closing Gitmo. But in the end, he will maintain the "Neoliberal Order." Which means that when the next chapter of the Endless War is joined...we are "all in."

 

[Leadeye]

I always wondered if big money in India kept the US in there just to be in close proximity to Pakistan as a stabilizing influence. Maybe they aren't paying Joe, yet.

 

[rooster]

I thought Trump set a timeline for withdrawal in May? Why the delay already?

 

[Ark]

I thought Trump set a timeline for withdrawal in May? Why the delay already?

As I recall, Biden scrapped Trump's withdrawal plan on day one. Same day he sent more troops into Syria. Now suddenly he's talking fast withdrawal.

 

[rooster]

As I recall, Biden scrapped Trump's withdrawal plan on day one. Same day he sent more troops into Syria. Now suddenly he's talking fast withdrawal.

if I’m to believe the email I got about security jobs available in the Middle East it seems like operations are expanding and escalating not drawing down. I got a family and an electric car now so I’m not volunteering to go back to that hole again to safeguard americas oil supply.

 

[Twangbanger]

if I’m to believe the email I got about security jobs available in the Middle East it seems like operations are expanding and escalating not drawing down. I got a family and an electric car now so I’m not volunteering to go back to that hole again to safeguard americas oil supply.

Somebody will volunteer. They always do. See #1 above.

September is a long time for things to change on the ground. My guess is that the news outlets are already receiving whispered communications from "sources," which will serve as the basis for next month's rash of headlines about the "deteriorating situation" in Afghanistan.

This in turn will stoke political fears about "falling backwards" on Our Commitment, and the stage will be set for Xiden to "demonstrate flexibility" by extending our presence.

This will be followed by accolades from the Chiefs, once again whisper-leaked to the media, about how nice it is to have a leader again who "listens to the experts."

Sound familiar?

 

[OakRiver]

I thought Trump set a timeline for withdrawal in May? Why the delay already?

Don't forget, this is the same guy, who as VP promised we'd be out of Afghanistan in 2014.

Sticking to Trump's timetable is a win for Trump. Moving the date back to September 11 allows for much more symbolism...and also for the Taliban and others to get frustrated with us, launch attacks, and then give us the excuse to stay around longer.

I mean, of course, that only a cynic would think such things of an Administration who appointed someone from the board of Raytheon to lead the military.

 

[AtTheMurph]

if I’m to believe the email I got about security jobs available in the Middle East it seems like operations are expanding and escalating not drawing down. I got a family and an electric car now so I’m not volunteering to go back to that hole again to safeguard americas oil supply.

America's oil supply comes from the Americas. We are safeguarding Europe's oil supply. Why, I don't know except that the skim that comes off our MIC and is lost to thievery is astounding.

I have a friend in DC. He describes himself as a deal maker. He introduces people to other people. His take is 10% of the deals that come about.

He is also involved in a couple of companies that do government work. One is a company that makes "green" aircraft fuel that the military is legally mandated to have to buy. His company is controlled by (and this is no lie) a disabled, native American. Two gold stars for government contracts because they have to give X amount of business to minority owned businesses. He check two boxes.

Here's the kicker. They sell this "green" kerosene to the government for over $150 gallon.

His other deal is a natural gas plant in Ethiopia, funded by, you guessed it, the US government. The deal is worth over $300,000,000 and only 10% gets skimmed off for him. Now imagine how many others get to skim off that deal as well. It's probably really only $30,000,000 of actual building and equipment and $270,000,000 of graft.

This is why.

 

[HoughMade]

The accurate headline is: 'Biden Delays Pulling Troops Out Of Afghanistan." This isn't so much a withdrawal plan as a plan to not withdraw.

 

[OakRiver]

Don't forget, this is the same guy, who as VP promised we'd be out of Afghanistan in 2014.

Sticking to Trump's timetable is a win for Trump. Moving the date back to September 11 allows for much more symbolism...and also for the Taliban and others to get frustrated with us, launch attacks, and then give us the excuse to stay around longer.

I mean, of course, that only a cynic would think such things of an Administration who appointed someone from the board of Raytheon to lead the military.

Huh

Biden orders all US troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11 - Taliban threatens US troops who stay after May 1

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced the U.S. military would begin withdrawing the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan on May 1 and said "we'll be

americanmilitarynews.com

On the same day Biden announced his troop withdrawal timeline, the Taliban issued a warning that it expects the U.S. to meet the May 1 timeline agreed to under President Donald Trump and warned that U.S. troops that stay beyond May 1 “will bear the responsibility for that.”
. . .
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, “The demand of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is the withdrawal of all foreign forces from our country on time according to the Doha Agreement. If the agreement is adhered to, a path will also be found to resolve the remaining issues. If the agreement is not adhered to and foreign forces fail to exit our country on the specified date, problems will certainly be compounded and those who failed to comply with the agreement will bear the responsibility for that.”

 

[Ark]

Huh

Biden orders all US troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11 - Taliban threatens US troops who stay after May 1

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced the U.S. military would begin withdrawing the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan on May 1 and said "we'll be

americanmilitarynews.com

On the same day Biden announced his troop withdrawal timeline, the Taliban issued a warning that it expects the U.S. to meet the May 1 timeline agreed to under President Donald Trump and warned that U.S. troops that stay beyond May 1 “will bear the responsibility for that.”
. . .
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, “The demand of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is the withdrawal of all foreign forces from our country on time according to the Doha Agreement. If the agreement is adhered to, a path will also be found to resolve the remaining issues. If the agreement is not adhered to and foreign forces fail to exit our country on the specified date, problems will certainly be compounded and those who failed to comply with the agreement will bear the responsibility for that.”

"Never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake". If they think Biden is for real, the smart thing for them to do is spin their thumbs an extra few months and let the US clear out.

 

[MCINDIANA]

Another stunt by Biden and to push the date of withdrawal to 9/11. Really??? Then the Taliban issues a warning on the date change. I pray that none of our brave military are harmed by this political stunt. If they are harmed, their blood is on Biden's hands.

 

[KellyinAvon]

On a good day Afghanistan is in the 10th century. I'm good with leaving them there.

 

[indykid]

If the Taliban hold to their threats, yes Biden should be held accountable for anything that happens to our valiant military.

As for getting out regardless of the date, nothing will change there. Infighting and wars will continue as they have for the last 5000 years or so. It seems there is always a group in the middle east that wants to continue the history of unending violence. If and when that group is destroyed, there seems to always be another group waiting to pick up the flag of continued killing.

 

[Kutnupe14]

So if he does pull this off, who is going to be the guy to post this in the "What has Biden Done Right Thread?"

 

[Ark]

If the Taliban hold to their threats, yes Biden should be held accountable for anything that happens to our valiant military.

As for getting out regardless of the date, nothing will change there. Infighting and wars will continue as they have for the last 5000 years or so. It seems there is always a group in the middle east that wants to continue the history of unending violence. If and when that group is destroyed, there seems to always be another group waiting to pick up the flag of continued killing.

One interesting possibility is the Taliban themselves collapsing into infighting as soon as "victory' is actually at hand.

I caught this piece on NPR a while back where they were talking to a guy who has been reporting on the Afghan-Taliban peace process in Qatar. Most of these "Taliban leaders" doing the so-called peace negotiations have been living in luxury hotels in Qatar for a decade or more, and others had been in Gitmo most of that time. These dudes haven't seen Afghanistan in 15 years, they've been living in gold-plated suites and smoking the peace pipe in 40th floor conference rooms. Are they gonna waltz back into Afghanistan and tell a bunch of hardened Taliban fighters "okay y'all, we're in charge again, we're gonna pick up where we left off and run things like it's August 2001 again"?

Maybe it turns into a de facto two state solution where the central government keeps their little Westernized state in Kabul and the rest of the country is run by the Taliban or other little warlord enclaves. Maybe the Taliban fracture into multiple organizations running their own territories. All kinds of crazy stuff could happen.

 

[Tombs]

"Never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake". If they think Biden is for real, the smart thing for them to do is spin their thumbs an extra few months and let the US clear out.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

No, we'll just pay some proxy to launch a rocket into one of our bases and blame it on them.
Trump set a deadline, and now that the deadline has been pulled, we're in it for life. He was the last person who realistically would have tried to get us out.

 

[Tombs]

So if he does pull this off, who is going to be the guy to post this in the "What has Biden Done Right Thread?"

If he was going to, he would have abided by the date that was already established.

Now he can pull the wool over the eyes of people like you by doing a purely ceremonial "pulling out" of troops, while actually leaving the majority of our troops in place. And people like you will believe it, hook line and sinker.

Plus, why the hell would I credit biden for something Trump did?

 

[thompal]

I thought Trump set a timeline for withdrawal in May? Why the delay already?

Biden said he wasn't going to do that because Trump set the date. So Biden is taking credit for promising to leave in September and trying to portray himself as such a great diplomat. I wonder if he knows that the citizens know what a phony he is.