Afghan government collapse.

[compucomp]

How many countries will recognize a Taliban-led Afghanistan?

Have you forgotten that Vietnam is now considered a quasi-ally by the USA and a possible partner in fighting China, and the war is not an issue whatsoever?

[compucomp]

Have you forgotten that Vietnam is now considered a quasi-ally by the USA and a possible partner in fighting China, and the war is not an issue whatsoever?

Irrelevant comparison. The North Vietnamese were never remotely in the same stratosphere as the Taliban are.

I predict in 5 years or so, the USA will make a deal with the Taliban government to surreptitiously support ETIM and other Uighur terrorist groups to cause trouble in Xinjiang and disrupt Chinese investments in Afghanistan. This won't be done officially, of course, but through the CIA like in the 1980's.

Meanwhile we'll start hearing how these courageous so-called "freedom fighters" are "struggling for liberty and democracy" or whatever against China while being harbored by the same Taliban that the USA fought for 20 years, a conflict precipitated by the very same action they will be praising in the future.

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If the USA is smart they should move quickly to form a relationship with the new Taliban regime as there is no alternative to the Taliban in the medium term.   Their goal should be try to lock out as much PRC-Russia influence over the Taliban as possible.

To think that there is someone unironically advocating this from the American perspective. Such a move would establish, once and for all and in the eyes of the world, that American foreign policy is about submission to American interests, period. All of the sanctimonious propaganda about "freedom", "democracy", and "human rights" is permanently revealed to be a complete sham.

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I don't know whether these reports are reliable or not, but if VP Saleh is going to mount a credible last stand now that the odds are totally against him, then what was he doing last week? Why wasn't he trying to marshal the defense? Was Ghani the only person that could do anything?

[compucomp]

So in other words, the Taliban are now doing the Americans' dirty work for them? I had predicted that the Taliban and US would eventually find common cause and start cooperating, but I thought it would take months to a year for that arrangement to come together and not one week.

[compucomp]

What an extremely stupid thing to do.

Sadly, the Taliban, horrifying as they are, appear to be doing their best to piss away what goodwill they have for ending the war. Crap like this is why there’ll be yet another round of civil war in the future.

Apple, tree, etc etc.

Not sure which exact point you’re making.

That despite their PR offensive that has seemingly (and predictably) taken in some gullible people, the Taliban haven't actually changed much in 25 years?

They may not have changed much, but if they fulfill their promise to not harbor international terrorists, then that's enough for them to stay in power indefinitely. If they didn't harbor Osama Bin Laden they wouldn't have been thrown out in the first place.