Afghanistan. The Great Taliban Warriors, or How Americans Are Kicked Out Using the American Experience
Photo: ResoluteSupportMedia / flickr.com
Today, the press is simply inundated with materials about how the Taliban (banned in the Russian Federation as a terrorist one) are successfully moving through the territory of Afghanistan. At the same time, many experts and analysts make big eyes when talking about the number and equipment of the opposing sides. 300 thousand government soldiers against 75 thousand Taliban! At the same time, the government army is much better equipped and trained by the "best army in the world."
Meanwhile, if you recall the materials that have been published in sufficient quantities over the past one and a half to two decades, it will become clear that such a result of the American operation was obvious. Many factors indicated this. From the goal of the operation completely incomprehensible to the army, to the gradual loss of the combat capability of the army itself and its termination into a kind of military police, used only to restore order in the places of deployment.
I remember how on the pages of our publication some commentators talked about how afraid the American military is to protrude from their strongholds, since raids often end in clashes with the Afghans, in which the Americans suffer quite serious losses. As other experts talked about the multiple increase in the export of drugs from Afghanistan to Europe and the United States.
Do not dig a hole to another ...
From the very beginning of the operation of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), in fact, the US Armed Forces with some help from NATO allies, it became clear that the ISAF was repeating the path of the Soviet army in 1979 and the first half of the 1980s. They entered beautifully. We walked beautifully through the country. Bouquets of flowers and assurances of friendship and love from the local population.
The whole world, which then voted on December 20, 2001, for the UN Security Council Resolution No. 1386, watched with interest how the strongest army in the world smashed the same Taliban and other anti-government detachments of local mujahideen. How quickly the power of Kabul is established in the provinces of Afghanistan. How mujahideen suddenly become pro-Kabul and pro-American, and only a small part of them turn into dushmans from the Taliban and the Northern Alliance.
On the video of that time, such "transformants" are perfectly visible. Outwardly, an ordinary Afghan, white shirts, black vests, a turban, and more often a pakol, on his head. Only the clothes are newer, richer, better quality. Looking at these "peaceful Afghans" it became clear that soon American jeeps would start being blown up by mines and landmines on the roads.
We must pay tribute to the Americans. They performed the initial combat mission efficiently. The Taliban troops were dispersed rather quickly. The enemy, as the side opposing the army, disappeared. Dissolved among the local population. In principle, the army was no longer needed. Further, the security forces were to act. American and local.
But the American "Politburo" did exactly the same as the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee once did. The Americans decided to help the Afghan people build a truly democratic, modern society. by your own model, of course. True, unlike the SA, the Americans in the US press did not talk about the construction of orphanages and hospitals, the Americans talked about how they smash terrorists throughout Afghanistan.
That is, the US army fell into the same trap that our army fell into earlier. There is a war, there are dead and wounded, but there are no victories. They carried out a raid, dispersed the gang, destroyed the spirits, but in a week we must gather again there and with the same purpose. Ultimately, the army begins to decay from the inside out of hopelessness. The military needs victories!
Was there an understanding of the situation at the Pentagon?
It is quite a natural question about the understanding of the situation in the American headquarters. Did the Pentagon understand that the army should be withdrawn? If not completely, then most of it. This is where some questions arise. Numerous interviews with American generals published in open sources indicate a lack of this understanding. However, it is necessary to take into account the political component of such speeches.
Governments often deliberately misinform their own populations. to prevent negative reactions to their own actions. Remember the Soviet newspapers of the 80s. There was no war in the neighboring country. And there were no dead. In a few reports, our soldiers met with Afghan friends, helped schools, kindergartens, hospitals and other nonsense.
In the case of the United States, it seems to me that such a policy of hushing up the situation in the IRA began in 2003-04. At least around this time, the opinion emerged that the war in Afghanistan would never end for the United States. Some US military officials have spoken about this openly. True, most of the inhabitants did not understand their hints.
American presidents spoke about the desire of the United States to "help build a democratic state," which for the military, this is what they spoke about, meant that this war would not be won. Consequently, the United States will never end a military operation in Afghanistan. So what is next? Then there was a completely logical escape called "quick evacuation in connection with the end of the operation."
We can, of course, say that certain units did carry out some operations. There were also reports of small, but victories. Alas, if you read the specialized websites of the US military today, it becomes clear that most of these victories are, to put it mildly, exaggerated. Conventional police operations were passed off as military operations.
Why are government forces scattering ...
So what's the problem? Why is the Taliban hitting the well-armed and trained army of Afghanistan so easily? Alas, Americans have to say thank you ... to the Americans. The Taliban used the US experience in Iraq. The very same bribery, intimidation and other "tricks" from the arsenal of the American special services, which allowed the United States to decompose the Iraqi army from the inside and create a mini army of traitors in its ranks.
It was always incomprehensible to me why, when speaking about militants, we are talking about those who came from somewhere. But, most of the Taliban are actually Afghans of different nationalities. There are many ethnic Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmens, Pashtuns and other peoples inhabiting this country among the field commanders of the Taliban.
In other words, the soldiers and officers of the Afghan army and the Afghan security forces were recruited from the same tribes as the Taliban. In my opinion, this is the main reason for the defeat of the government forces. The heads of the Afghan clans decide, and the representatives of these clans execute. Simply put, this is called corruption. Not a classic bribery of the military, but a local generic variety. Afghan flavor, so to speak.
The corruption of the Afghan security forces is colossal. I already wrote about this in one of the materials. And they knew it at the Pentagon! They knew, but they hid it for the sake of Washington. True, here we must pay tribute to the generals of the United States, the military managed to fulfill the main thing. At the time of the withdrawal of troops, the Americans had a fairly small contingent in the IRA, which they were able to quickly evacuate.
The remnants of the units, in my opinion, have not yet been touched only because, perhaps, there is some kind of agreement between the militants and the military. But, I also wrote about this, the deadline is set rigidly - September 11, 2021. Further, the militants will destroy any foreign military on their territory. This is officially announced.
Thus, the US operation failed. The American army, like all previous "liberators", was virtually defeated. We can say whatever we want, but there is no one in war. This is not football. The goals of the war were either achieved or not achieved. The rest is nothing more than verbiage. An attempt to make excuses. Even by winning the battle, you can lose the war. I repeat, victory is just the accomplishment of the assigned task.
What should we think about
The stampede of the American army from Afghanistan showed the US allies that much of what had been instilled in them for many decades was just fiction. This somewhat changes the situation in world politics. I am not a utopian and I understand that doubts in the heads of politicians cannot be quickly realized in changes in the country's policy. But that the doubts of the president or the chancellor will lead to reflections on their own destiny and the destiny of their country.
The tasks of our country, which I have voiced in previous materials, do not change. The Taliban have been and remain a rather dangerous neighbor. The southern borders must be strengthened. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to the allies. To strengthen their armies, their commanding staff and train soldiers. After all, despite all the stories about the joint rebuff to the militants in the event of an attack on the territory of the union state, everyone understands that we will fight back. Our army.
In the near future, we should expect the activation of our pro-Western fellow citizens. As well as the activation of "democratic forces" outside Russia. It is impossible to raise the prestige of the United States in the eyes of the whole world. But it is possible to omit the authority of the adversary. That is, Russia and China. So a lot of dirt will be poured on us. you have to be ready for this ...
And the last thing. One more possible event should be noted, which, in my opinion, may occur in Afghanistan. The perception of the Taliban as terrorists in reality exists only in the West and in our country. In Asia, the Taliban are just another organization seeking power. It is quite possible that after the seizure of power and the massive purge of Afghan society from "American henchmen", the Taliban will become respected people.
Necessary afterword
The material you read above was written four days ago, but the situation in Afghanistan has changed rapidly. Therefore, there was a need for an afterword. As I thought, in the eyes of the Afghan society, the Taliban really turned into respected politicians who drove out the hated regime and will now independently build a "real Islamic state." The transfer of the capital of the country practically without a fight just says that from the point of view of the Afghan people, the Taliban are not enemies.
It can be stated that the fall of the legitimate regime of President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was painless. No matter how hard Ghani tried to be thoroughly American, his masters simply threw the regime into the hands of the Taliban. At the same time, the Taliban simply mocked the former president. They agreed to replace the Afghan guard with the American one during the transfer of power. You were hoping for them, now watch how you are kicked out of the house like a flea dog.
The Taliban are well aware that today is not the time to start cleansing. For example, unlike Bagram, they do not occupy the Kabul airport, making it possible for Western diplomats and officials from the Ghani apparatus to escape. They just stand and wait. In the end, a few politicians, albeit well-known in the world, but not respected in Afghanistan, will not do the trick. Let them live in the "zoos of their owners."
It is also interesting that, according to some information from foreign media, the Taliban have already created a transitional government. And, unexpectedly for many, it was headed not by a representative of the Taliban's militant wing, but by ex-Interior Minister Ahmad Jalali. I have already met the opinion that it is quite possible that the Taliban will create a country similar to Pakistan.
It seems to me that the goal of the militants is completely different. Create a new country. And it is radical Islam that is to be laid in the foundation of this state. Let me remind you that at a time when Afghanistan was engulfed in a civil war between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, in 1996-2001, such a state already existed. And it was called the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan".
In the case of the creation of just such a state, naturally, a new post of the ruler-emir appears. Only this can explain the appearance in Kabul of Mullah Abdel Ghani Baradar, in fact the head of the Taliban's political wing. Mullah is not only a veteran among the Taliban, but also the commander of the Western Taliban in the past.
In general, if you remember how the Taliban behaved during the first attempt to seize power, during the war at the beginning of the century, one gets the impression that the militants have “reformed”. Today, only one haraam sin is reliably known, with which they have already begun to fight. Images of women with open faces and the prohibition of women to appear on the streets with open faces.
I think everything is much more complicated, given the eastern mentality. The Taliban hate the mujahideen. the rapid seizure of Afghanistan is caused not by the weakness of the Afghan soldiers, but by the unwillingness to fight. The army fled simply because the soldiers do not understand what they are fighting for. The regime in Kabul was not supported by the army.
We are accustomed to the fact that there is always a desire for progress in society. Yes, it is, but in the case of Afghanistan, this thrust existed only in the capital and large cities. Society is patriarchal and does not want change. Afghans are religious and faithful to their traditions that have existed for centuries. As strange as it may sound, in this the Afghans are akin to Ukrainian society, especially in the west of the country.
The Taliban understand that if they begin today a sharp breakdown of these traditions, way of life, religious dogmas and other "reforms", the Mujahideen will return. But other mujahideen will return. Motivated and organized. And then the situation at the beginning of the century may repeat itself.
Today we are witnessing the beginning of a rather lengthy process of reformatting Afghanistan. The emirate of Afghanistan is still a distant dream of the Taliban. I have already written about the clan system for governing the provinces of Afghanistan. Whatever the Taliban do in Kabul and other cities, the tribal leaders will decide everything. Nothing has changed in Afghanistan. We must fight for power every day! Power cannot be seized at once!
* Editorial note: The Taliban is a terrorist organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation
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