All things Middle East related

[punch it in]

This is good news.

https://apple.news/AMZhrLG5SS4OCpF5cZ5G8jQ

[nonniey]

Well, that didn't take long reports are Al Qaeda and Islamic State are operating in the vicinity of the Kabul Airport. The President said that Afghanistan was no longer a base for international terrorists just a few days ago as one of the major reasons to justify his idiocy.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by punch it in

Realer talk, does anybody think the most dangerous enemies to our democracy aren’t already here posing as patriots? Every intelligence agency in the world says domestic terrorists are the greatest threat to us, and the GOP will not even acknowledge they exist.

We agree on this - but at least we have the leadership in charge to take these threats seriously. More than we can say for a year ago.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by nonniey

Well, that didn't take long reports are Al Qaeda and Islamic State are operating in the vicinity of the Kabul Airport. The President said that Afghanistan was no longer a base for international terrorists just a few days ago as one of the major reasons to justify his idiocy.

Seriously, this is not surprising. Logically, of course terrorist groups would try to take advantage of the chaos to see if they could insert some terrorists over here or at an overseas base to commit some terrorist attack later.

I hope our national defense leadership is aware and takes these threats seriously.

[nonniey]

Originally Posted by mooby

We agree on this - but at least we have the leadership in charge to take these threats seriously. More than we can say for a year ago.

We do? Ok it may be more than you could say from a year ago but that ain't saying much.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by nonniey

We do? Ok it may be more than you could say from a year ago but that ain't saying much.

You might be right - but I don't worry too much about the things I can't control.

[Chico23231]

Good news the evacuation is starting to go faster and I think it’s a really big positive that the violence around the airport has subsided. Gotta be vigilant, but really worried about an extremist attack.

[kppk28]

all my buddy did was patrol poppy fields! he wasnt supposed to show us the photos but hey you dont hear that on the news today.

[sdskinsfan2001]

It's pretty crazy how many non-active military Americans currently live or are in Afghanistan now. There are some students from my neck of the woods that are there right now. Scary stuff.

[nonniey]

Originally Posted by sdskinsfan2001

It's pretty crazy how many non-active military Americans currently live or are in Afghanistan now. There are some students from my neck of the woods that are there right now. Scary stuff.

Lots of NGOs operate/operated there as well as non military Government agencies (USAID).

[sdskinsfan2001]

Originally Posted by nonniey

Lots of NGOs operate/operated there as well as non military Government agencies (USAID).

I was definitely naive to all of these people that are there.

[BaltimoreSkins]

Originally Posted by sdskinsfan2001

It's pretty crazy how many non-active military Americans currently live or are in Afghanistan now. There are some students from my neck of the woods that are there right now. Scary stuff.

There were plenty of times over the last 20 years where we had more military contractors than we had US soldiers. The worst was during the Obama years. He ramped up spending and it was more $ than the Afghanistan country could hold for infrastructure etc, so it trickled over to funding more contractors. I have a good interview about it I'll share when I get a chance.

[Chico23231]

Tragic situation unfolding now. Thinking about those stranding in that hellhole Kabul.

[SunnySide]

Originally Posted by sdskinsfan2001

It's pretty crazy how many non-active military Americans currently live or are in Afghanistan now. There are some students from my neck of the woods that are there right now. Scary stuff.

Refugee families from Afghanistan living in SD decided to go back to Afghanistan and visit family in May and June.

If youre refugees who fled your country bc of safety reasons and political turmoil ... why would you go back to visit?

Reading the first few articles, I envisioned some PE teacher chaperone trapped with 15 students on some school trip.

Its really Afghanistan refugess who came to American then decided to go back for whatever poorly thought out reason.

[Chico23231]

To be honest zero problems with anybody and their family immigrating from Afghanistan who help carry out the nato, US mission over there. You can’t get more merit based than that…welcome them with open arms