If the Taliban takes over Afghanistan despite all the military capabilities and preparations the Afghan soldiers have received for years, what could be the conclusion here? Increasingly in most parts of the “fragile world”, we are seeing a scenario where untrained and unprepared militants (in the formal sense of it), are unloading trained military.
As these things happen, it may be time to examine the whole nexus that democracy can work everywhere. Democracy works because good people make civilians the commander- in-chief on the belief that the military will hold the nation. But when that is not the case, does that make sense?
Yes, after the death of the Chadian president this year in a battle, the world kingmakers unanimously supported a military man (the president’s son) to take over instead of the second in command who happened to be a civilian. Specifically, the French government made the point that the circumstances on the ground did not support following the democratic tenet. Largely, the world is moving into a new dimension of conflict where pockets of crises are here and there, and terrorists and militants seem to be overwhelming formal armies in “fragile states”.
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Sure, the Afghan is different (unlike say Libya and Iraq) but the emerging result is palpable: Taliban is largely back to power. Nigeria – you need to study these cases very well!
And before I close, our wishes to the good people (innocent civilians) of Afghanistan; they are now on their own!
Update: Afghanistan falls flat
UPDATE: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has left Afghanistan for Tajikistan, a senior interior ministry official told Reuters news agency.
? LIVE updates: https://t.co/bcjxnlsiQH pic.twitter.com/p4TgSvkoQ4
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 15, 2021
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Many things to see here:
Untrained men sweeping out Trained army- this is simply put school no matter how lofty can take away certain streetsense. Yes, data gives insight, yet somethings are not for scholars!
We need to become wary of this, since an action here can motivate one in another place to follow suite if they unguided. If indeed Boko Haram exist then we need to be battle ready.
Afghanistan as its known today as always been a quagmire throughout the ages of time. They have kick out the British, Russians and the American-led Coalition. They won’t change from generation to generation for battle-harden is their way of life. With regards to other commentators saying they are untrained, ask any Soldier who has fought in the Afghan, once an Afghan is old enough to tend sheep, he is old enough to shoot an AK-47. They are tribal and everyone in the tribe must know how to fight in protection of the clan.The world politicians tend to forget history, and it is as time has never moved on in Afghanistan. Once you spill blood, you must pay in blood is the rule of the land. The Afghans army will drop their uniform and run for their lives. Jaw-jaw is always better than war-war. The price has been costly to the Coalition and will continue to be costly because we forget history in the place of politics.
Deep words, “The price has been costly to the Coalition and will continue to be costly because we forget history in the place of politics. ” And as they say those who forget history are doom to repeating them.
Happy Sunday.
First, many of the ‘untrained and unprepared militants’ are actually elite soldiers, better trained and battle tested than the so called state military.
Second, who profits from the chaos in Afghanistan? It’s not like Afghanistan is such a rich nation, where superpowers are competing to get a cut of its natural endowments, but again, the weapons used in this mayhem are produced where and sold through which mediums?
Third, looking at how quickly everything is collapsing over there in Afghanistan, we need to appreciate the man Trump, say what you think about him, but that man remains the most effective American leader, as far as foreign policy is concerned. He has a fear factor you cannot simply dismiss, now nobody seems to fear Biden…
After twenty years and almost trillion dollars wasted, with thousands of soldiers killed and cities destroyed, we are now back to square one.
All the noise about military might and leadership credentials, nobody seems to know what to do with Afghanistan…
“Third, looking at how quickly everything is collapsing over there in Afghanistan, we need to appreciate the man Trump, say what you think about him, but that man remains the most effective American leader, as far as foreign policy is concerned. He has a fear factor you cannot simply dismiss, now nobody seems to fear Biden..” -not sure about that. The boldest leader here on this case is Biden who allowed the chips to fall. None including Obama and Trump had the gut to call the play. So, I am not sure what you would credit Trump here.
Everyone knew that Afghan had no military. All experts expected the fall. What did not happen was the speed it happened. Trump wanted to pull but called it off. Biden went ahead.
Taliban does not care who American president is. What again would Trump do US has not tried for 20 years? I do not buy that if Trump was doing the pull-out that Taliban will go to the beach to have good sun-bath!