Over the past week, the US has significantly stepped up its airstrikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan, with over a dozen strikes reported. On Tuesday, Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), warned that these frequent bombings would continue.
“The United States has increased airstrikes in the support of Afghan forces over the last several days, and we’re prepared to continue this heightened level of support in the coming weeks if the Taliban continue their attacks,” McKenzie said in a CENTCOM press release.
A Pentagon spokesman said the airstrikes were carried out by warplanes and armed drones. “A number of strikes have occurred over the last several days from both manned and unmanned strike platforms,” said Maj. Robert Lodewick.
Last week marked the first Afghanistan airstrikes publicly acknowledged by the US since McKenzie Gen. Scott Miller, the former top US commander in Afghanistan, handed his authority over to McKenzie and CENTCOM. With the bulk of US forces withdrawn from Afghanistan, the airstrikes are being carried out by warplanes and drones based outside of the country, most likely from the Gulf region.
The Pentagon has dubbed its ability to bomb Afghanistan from outside the country “over the horizon capability.” On Sunday, when asked by reporters, McKenzie wouldn’t say if these airstrikes would continue after August 31st, the date President Biden said the withdrawal would be completed by.
Right. Bombing the Taliban. After 20 years, how’s that workin’ out for ya?
Current Afghan Government of President Ashraf Ghani is simply a puppet of Modern Day Hitler Fascist Indian PM Narender Modi, who is Crucifying Christians, Sikh Nation, Muslims, Dalits, Low Caste Hindus & Other Minorities in India, and doesn’t not Peace in that area, also wants to grab American Tax Payers’ money etc., etc.,
Biden has increased the Afghan spending for 2022 from the current $3 billion to $3.3 billion. The airstrikes will be more costly since they will be conducted from “over the horizon” instead of right there in country. The troop level is only being decreased from 2,500 to 600 so that savings will be minimal. So it would seem we will be spending more after “withdrawing” then when we did when we were still there.
What our strategists want is for there to be enough anger over the bombing and killing of innocents that there is an assault on the U.S. embassy. That will signal a swift return of the U.S. troops.
McCain (John) was right when he blurted out (and then recanted) that we will be there 100 years. We are never going to leave that place.
In related, and unsurprising, news, the Afghan Air Force is falling apart, after Allah only knows how many billions the US has spent on it.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-predictable-collapse-of-the-afghan-air-force-is-happening-in-real-time/ar-AAMFFl7?ocid=uxbndlbing
Some choice bits:
“…In 2010, accusations emerged that Afghan pilots were smuggling opium and weapons. The following year, an Afghan Air Force colonel killed nine Americans in the deadliest insider attack of the war.
“The U.S. Air Force also wasted more than $500 million on 20 Italian-made transport aircraft for the Afghans, which became unusable due to problems getting spare parts and related issues. The planes were eventually scrapped and the metal was sold for about $40,000…”
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“the U.S. military has been forced to completely retrain Afghan aircrews on how to use Black Hawk helicopters, and that has delayed the Afghan Air Force’s ability to sustain itself…”
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“…the Afghan Air Force has relied exclusively on contractors to sustain many of its American-made aircraft, including their Black Hawks and Super Tucanos. When the United States withdrew contractors from Afghanistan, it did not take long for mission-capable rates to plunge…the U.S. military’s Train, Advise, and Assist Command – Air estimated that without contractor support the Afghan Air Force would be unable to keep their aircraft combat effective beyond a few months…The Taliban has also launched a concerted effort to assassinate Afghan pilots, potentially depriving the Kabul government of the one military advantage it has.”
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“The U.S. military is also prepared to have Afghan aircraft taken to a third country where they can be refurbished and repaired and then returned to the Afghan Air Force…”
So, in the last ten years or so, the US has wasted half a billion dollars on useless Italian transports (why do I feel like some kind of corruption plays a part here?). Then, to appease US military suppliers, replaced all the Russian aircraft, which the Afghani pilots at least knew how to fly, with American planes and choppers, which (1) they don’t know how to fly, (2) are probably harder to fly, (3) are most likely less robust and finicky, and so more difficult to keep in service, and (4) more difficult to repair and to get spare parts for (think of that supply chain going from somewhere in the USA to Kabul or Kandahar, by way of the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, Pakistan, and the Khyber Pass!) than the Russian models, requiring US technicians. Oh, and Afghani pilots (which the puppet government can’t even keep safe when they are on the ground!), the creme de la creme of our “ally’s” military, are also criminally corrupt, AND conduct “blue on blue” attacks on US servicemen. And now the US, besides conducting its own air raids, is going to have to ferry the so called Afghan Air Force’s planes to and from the country, because, even after ten years of training, repair and maintenance facilities built, equipped and stocked, billions of dollars spent in general, etc, etc, the Afghanis themselves can’t or won’t keep ’em flying!
It’s like a case study on why bloated empires, and their useless, gold plated militaries, lose wars in distant lands!
Even Allah may not know.
This disgusting Vietnam-Redux is beyond the pale. GTFO and stay out!
Bombing the Taliban will spur the T to topple and take over the current government because we would then have to bomb Kabul and its airport.