"Don’t trust estimates of Al Qaeda’s strength in Afghanistan" Topic

"The U.S. government, military, and intelligence services have provided inaccurate assessments of Al Qaeda's strength in Afghanistan for more than a decade…"

Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

AQ is still a threat and in places like A'stan we know they can safely hide out. We went to there in the first to make sure this wouldn't happen again. Among other things. The equation as changed a bit will ISIS also being in A'stan. They hate each other so hopefully they will kill each other off. But that may just wishful thinking. The Taliban does not like ISIS either. So that should help with numbers lost on both sides.

We should still take every advantage to eliminate both those terrorists' groups rosters. In large numbers and frequently using drones, Smart munitions, etc.

Maybe it would be cheaper and get more brownie points just to impose better immigration controls and global law enforcement coordination.

Note COVID presents great opportunities for this as international airtravel is gutted (and hopefully will largely go the way of the dodo as it is a major polluter).

impose better immigration controls and global law enforcement coordination.

That too would be good. But we have to deal with the PC types. That just don't get it … AQ, ISIS, etc., use our "open" accepting tendencies, etc. against us. I am of course all for stronger immigration laws, tighter borders, any more worldwide law enforcement actions we can get, etc. I'm not very PC, etc.

Doubt air travel in the long run will be gutted. It is too big an industry, makes too much money. And is generally very efficient for worldwide travel of both people and commerce.

I'm not PC either.

Air travel will definitely and unfortunately for the environment make a come back at some stage.

However now that it is near dead,it is a perfect opportunity to look at new restrictions. Note the Spanish Flu saw the universal introduction of passports.

As for PC, massed immigration and open borders suits both left and right wing global elites. Lefties want their moronic Star Trek utopia whereas for the capitalist right it allows free flow of labour, thus reducing how much they have to pay people.

Idiotic western countries also use immigration as an economic crutch as they provide inflows of potential consumers. Never mind this actually dilutes consumerism as workers have less ability to bargain for better wages which they can then use to buy things. More people in labour pool = increased supply = lower salaries. Economics 101.

Before anyone says it, immigrants don't contribute much to to GDP per capita. Eg Australia's economy and population were growing over the last 10 years whereas living standards were deteriorating over the same time – low wages growth, massive increase in cost of housing and utilities, increased waiting times in hospitals, increased traffic congestion etc.

Back to topic – better immigration control = terrorists posing far less threats to westerners = we can get out of these mindless stalemates in their countries.

I really can't disagree with you. IMO for illegal immigrants take jobs from actual citizens. Become an American legally, like many of our relatives did.

That being said, many on the Left here want to give food clothing, shelter, medical, even drivers licenses, etc. to illegals. Which takes all those things and more from actual citizens in need.

It would not be too bad to be generous to these illegal aliens. If it didn't take from the people who are here legally and have been for decades or even more. And with the massive numbers crossing our Southern border, albeit it has slowed, it appears. How can we take care of them while there are citizens that lack those things ?