"Heavy Fighting Reported Throughout Afghanistan" Topic

"Kabul: The Afghan Taliban killed a Supreme Court official, a dozen mine clearers and several national and foreign soldiers but also suffered heavy losses from intensifying violence ahead of the withdrawal of most international troops in the next two weeks.

In Kabul on Saturday, a bomb ripped through a bus carrying soldiers in Kabul, killing at least six of them, mangling the vehicle and sending a column of black smoke over the capital.

"A suicide bomber on foot detonated his explosives at the door of a bus carrying army soldiers," said Hashmat Stanekzai, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief.

Earlier, gunmen shot dead senior Supreme Court official Atiqullah Raoufi as he left his home in the city…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

From the pictures why are the Army still using unarmoured buses!
The moronic commanders seem to have forgotten about the danger or just not learnt anything.

The US lost 2 more of our soldiers there recently too in those attacks … Also the ANA and ANP take large casualities, with little to show for it. But a lot of dead and few Taliban loses … another day in the 'stan. I'm betting within 6 months after the last US/NATO troop leaves, it goes completely out of control. Much more so than now.

It's winter in Afghanistan, a time when the Taliban typically pack-it-up until the Spring thaws come.

For them to still be fighting at this time of year means that they're: 1) fully embedded back in the cities; and 2) they feel they are close enough to victory to keep the fight going.

Heavy Fighting in Afghanistan?

In other news, water is wet.

It's winter in Afghanistan, a time when the Taliban typically pack-it-up until the Spring thaws come.

Spot on. The traditional "Fighting Season" is over but the Taliban are ramping things up. Baaad sign.

The unfortunate thing is that in the end the only thing that is going to matter is who WANTS IT MORE and based on what I saw during my time there ('11-'12), bolstered by what is being reported now if I were in Vegas I'd be putting all my $$$ on the Taliban. It would be a very bittersweet payoff.

When I have spoken to Afghani people (abroad) they have said that we (the west) got involved in the conflict so we should stick around until the country is completely pacified. All we have done in Afghanistan is to spend blood and treasure to turn a large part of the population against us. We also made the region safe for heroin producers. I am sure our "leaders" won't even allow us to use air assets to destroy poppy crops in the future.

$7 Billion US Eradication Effort Delivers Record High Poppy Crop in Afghanistan

Federal watchdog report "calls into question" US efforts to stamp out opium production

link

Poppies…sleep…sleep.

ANA successes don't often get reorte din the media, hence we get perhaps a skewed view.

They attacked Bastion just after the British left it and got their arses handed to them with a kill ratio of around 10:1 in the ANAs favour.

The Taliban also faield to folow up on their threat to disrupt the election – and the Afghans handled the security for that themselves also.

Interesting that they've attacked people clearing miens as before they've been regarded as being so helpful that the Talibs left them alone – they're as prone to walking on a mine as anyone else after all.

I doubt that'll help their hearts and minds campaign.

Time will tell, but remember we only tend to hear one side of the story.

They attacked Bastion just after the British left it and got their arses handed to them with a kill ratio of around 10:1 in the ANAs favour.

???

I read that the losses were 5 ANA and 26 Taliban -as reported by Govt. sources. -You really believe body count reports?

ITV News video showed at least 7 ANA bodies after the battle…

The point holds however that western media is only interested in Taliban spectaculars….

That the Taliban utterly failed to disrupt the election, as promised, is noteworthy.

Currently they're trying the strength of the new government, that's all.

No doubt Western media may not always get the story right. However, other more accurate places tell a similar story. Recently a US Retired General, who knows better than the media or some here confirmed what I had posted previously >

the ANA and ANP take large casualities, with little to show for it. But a lot of dead and few Taliban loses

The General is a reliable source …

When I have spoken to Afghani people (abroad) they have said that we (the west) got involved in the conflict so we should stick around until the country is completely pacified.

That will most likely never happen. The West has armed and trained the Afghanis [and the Iraqis for that matter !] … It's now their fight, pick up the ball and kill the Talis, AQ, etc. in your own backyard … How much hand holding etc. will it take to make the ANA and ANP effective ? At this point I see little that would show they can take on the Taliban et al. and win …

Given the lack of Westerners to kill, the conflict now takes on a more usual Afghan civil war type affair, which will probably end with a negotiated settlement as most of these affairs do.

The Taliban can't take Kabul, and in the absence of Taliban control, bits of the country are booming.

I see zero prospect of the Taliban taking control of the entire country – people have far too much to lose.

Whether the Pashtun heartlands can be won over remains to be seen – but eventually the Pashtuns might get annoyed at being the poor country cousins while everyone else gets richer.

From my reading the problem with the army is more the lack of support troops than the fighting skill of the men themselves.

i.e. no guarantee of being paid, treated if wounded, fed properly or indeed getting air support.

Whether the Pashtun heartlands can be won over remains to be seen – but eventually the Pashtuns might get annoyed at being the poor country cousins while everyone else gets richer.

When that was the Northwest Frontier, the poor country cousins would raid down into the rich parts of the land rather than change their ways.

So I don't expect any luck with the Pashtun.

Given the lack of Westerners to kill, the conflict now takes on a more usual Afghan civil war type affair, which will probably end with a negotiated settlement as most of these affairs do.

Again I say ???

Are you aware of the history of Afghanistan? Nothing but treachery.

The last president of Afghanistan after the Soviets left was a competent leader & administrator. He led a coalition that was overthrown by the Taliban with the secret help of Pakistan's military. After "negotiations", everyone agreed that the former leadership & administrators would be guaranteed safety and could live inside a UN compound. -The Taliban then broke the treaty, invaded the UN compound and killed everyone , except for ex-Pres. Najibullah. They castrated him, then dragged him through the streets behind a truck before finally hanging him.

My $$$ is on, 10 years from now nothing much will have changed in the region. It's been a mess for quite some time … And as have I said, I remember as a child, and the past 4 decades, Western Aid has been going to the area. And yet, they still believe, fight, live and die like it was centuries ago … stuck in their own version of a tribal islamic Hades …

Let them rot. They make their own bed, they can sleep in it.

cwlinsj – worth noting that Najibullah only lost the war when the Soviet Union stopped supporting his forces.

Until then the Afghan Army was doing reasonably well.

As for the history of Afghanistan, it was a fairly stable place before the Soviets stuck their oar in.

Let them rot. They make their own bed, they can sleep in it.

Amen to that …

Bangorstu, I don't agree with you. Afghanistan had never been stable.

Afghanistan had been divided before the Soviets were invited in by the Govt to help maintain order. Russia had been propping up the central govt. since the days of the Czar.

Before the Soviets intervened, the King had been deposed, the Prime Minister had been killed by the army, the American ambassador had been kidnapped & killed, Pakistan was arming the borders and 80% of the country was up in arms.

The Soviets had actually been sucked-in without initial intention to invade. Mission creep was their problem as the Soviets refused to believe that anyone could resist their military might. They were unable to control the countryside and the people and kept adding forces to deal with the situation.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

As for the history of Afghanistan, it was a fairly stable place before the Soviets stuck their oar in.

Have you not read any histories of the Northwest Frontier?

You have a very funny definition of "fairly stable"…

See, it helps to actually do some reading.

Afghanistan was a peaceful place under the last King, who ruled from 1933-73. Seems to me that makes it a good deal more stable for a significant bit of the 20th century than Europe.

During that time, reforms were made including some attempts at democracy, and Kabul was part of the hippy trail.

Stu, an assertion of stability based on the extended rule of one monarch is known as anecdotal evidence. Pick any other king in any of the "Stans" and the evidence would be just as convincing. And are you suggesting that there is some superiority to occasional "stability" under kings, vis-à-vis democracy? Should we revert back to living under the rule of dynasties?…

See, it helps to actually do some reading.

Afghanistan was a peaceful place under the last King, who ruled from 1933-73. Seems to me that makes it a good deal more stable for a significant bit of the 20th century than Europe.

During that time, reforms were made including some attempts at democracy, and Kabul was part of the hippy trail.

Did the reading. I also live in Silicon Valley, where the largest Afghan population is outside of Afghanistan. I've learned a few things about the country.

Hippy Trail? Yep, great source of opium and heroin.

Attempts at reform? And why did everything fail? Infighting and factionalism.

Peaceful place under the last king? -And how did he stop being king? -He was deposed by his own cousin, the PM, who was then killed by the army.

BTW, recall how the last king became king? His dad was assassinated.

Yep, peaceful place.