ISIS bombing at Kabul Airport, 13 US casualties

[GeneralMacArthur]

New phase of the Afghanistan War where the US recognizes the Taliban and gives them guns to take down ISIS

Nah, this isn't the Cold War, if we cared that much about ISIS we'd just kill them ourselves.  As long as ISIS isn't controlling territory or threatening westerners America's just gonna let these psychos spend their time killing each other.

Would be nice if we could get a propaganda machine going in the Middle East to whip up rivalry and hatred between different terrorist organizations.  I know they already hate each other for the most part, but it would be cool if we could convince al-Qaeda that their greatest enemy is the Taliban and get them to depose the regime for us.

[Woody]

If Biden doesn't respond to this some way, he will loss even more credibility.

[7,052,770]

If Biden doesn't respond to this some way, he will loss even more credibility.

As if he ever had any with you in the first place

[TheTide]

Explosion near Taraz, Kazakhstan seemingly too.

[American2020]

https://twitter.com/FHeisbourg/status/1430915194679668738

[TheTide]

The title of this thread is really telling, isn't it? A large number of Afghans are dead, but that isn't important: what matters is that some American soldiers have been wounded. Disgusting.

A country is sort of like an extended family, or at least it should be. While we should obviously mourn for all the dead, this is akin to telling a grieving cousin or co worker to grieve equally for everyone who died in a car pileup.

The planet should be like an extended family.

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

New phase of the Afghanistan War where the US recognizes the Taliban and gives them guns to take down ISIS

...but it would be cool if we could convince al-Qaeda that their greatest enemy is the Taliban and get them to depose the regime for us.

GMac's VERY GOOD IDEA

[KaiserDave]

Have Al-Qaeda (who is worse) depose the Taliban? Genius!

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

New phase of the Afghanistan War where the US recognizes the Taliban and gives them guns to take down ISIS

The US already did semi-coordinated air strikes for the Taliban when they went on anti-IS offensives in 2019 and 2020.

[Person Man]

So at least they aren’t harboring al-qaeda any more. What do we actually need to do here? I’m assuming that we can’t just passively play them against each other like Goths and Lombards or sh**t like that.

[HisGrace]

The title of this thread is really telling, isn't it? A large number of Afghans are dead, but that isn't important: what matters is that some American soldiers have been wounded. Disgusting.

That's the whole argument for the withdrawal. Thousands of Afghans getting killed after we leave the country are worth less than the light casualties amongst the small number of soldiers we had there. So not a surprise.

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

WSJ reports 4 US Marines were killed and 3 wounded.


https://www.wsj.com/articles/afghanistan-kabul-airport-explosion-11629976397
Kabul Airport Explosion Kills Four U.S. Marines Amid Evacuations
Multiple casualties among Americans and Afghans were reported

The U.S. ambassador in Kabul has told staff there that four U.S. Marines were killed in an explosion at the city’s airport and three wounded, a U.S. official with knowledge of the briefing said. Two explosions ripped through crowds of Afghans trying to enter the airport on Thursday.

At least three U.S. troops were injured, a U.S. official said. Witnesses reported multiple fatalities among the Afghans, many of whom were trying to enter the airport because they had assisted U.S.-led coalition efforts and feared persecution by the Taliban.

https://twitter.com/WSJPolitics/status/1430940170929459204

[Agonized-Statism]

New phase of the Afghanistan War where the US recognizes the Taliban and gives them guns to take down ISIS

Oh no not again

[Roronoa D. Law]

I'm starting to think we're going back to Afghanistan 😒

[ProudModerate2]

I'm starting to think we're going back to Afghanistan 😒

Ummmm ... No.

[Horus]

I'm starting to think we're going back to Afghanistan 😒

Agreed, if four marines are dead he's gonna be forced to go back in. War machine wins yet again smh.

[Person Man]

I'm starting to think we're going back to Afghanistan 😒

Agreed, if four marines are dead he's gonna be forced to go back in. War machine wins yet again smh.

Is there an option to just "kill the bad guys" but not stay?

[Vaccinated Russian Bear]

Pentagon confirms

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2748158/statement-by-pentagon-press-secretary-john-kirby-on-this-mornings-attack-on-hkia/

[Person Man]

This wasn't the Taliban though. You know that ISIS has been gaining strength in Afghanistan since 2017, right? Everyone points fingers but no one has a solution. Give me a solution.

[THG]

My prayers go to the four marines.

[HisGrace]

I'm starting to think we're going back to Afghanistan 😒

Really doubt it, that would just look worse. Pull the troops out, let the Taliban take over the country, and then go back in to fight to take it all back again with heavy causalities.

[jaichind]

New phase of the Afghanistan War where the US recognizes the Taliban and gives them guns to take down ISIS

Soon the Tailban will be called freedom fighters again

[NYSforKennedy2024]

Biden has to do something. This is a terrible look.

[HisGrace]

This wasn't the Taliban though. You know that ISIS has been gaining strength in Afghanistan since 2017, right? Everyone points fingers but no one has a solution. Give me a solution.

Keep 10-15k troops there as a token force to keep the country under control? Even if you want a withdrawal it should have been done slower, as Woodbury alluded to, with the troops staying until we got everybody we needed to get out. Really have no idea what the thought process behind allowing ourselves to be pinned down at the airport was. A lot of the motivation here seems to be doing it as quickly as possible to reach the 9/11 deadline for political theatrics, which should not have any role in making policy.

[Person Man]

This wasn't the Taliban though. You know that ISIS has been gaining strength in Afghanistan since 2017, right? Everyone points fingers but no one has a solution. Give me a solution.

Keep 10-15k troops there as a token force to keep the country under control? Even if you want a withdrawal it should have been done slower, as Woodbury alluded to, with the troops staying until we got everybody we needed to get out. Really have no idea what the thought process behind allowing ourselves to be pinned down at the airport was. A lot of the motivation here seems to be doing it as quickly as possible to reach the 9/11 deadline for political theatrics, which should not have any role in making policy.

This was already done repeatedly.