Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis Were Killed in the War. One Was My Brother

Re:Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis Were Killed in the War. O... by 908B64B197 on Tuesday March 21, 2023 @01:34PM (#35249554)

> They had been debating on whether to tell him because he was surely going to the jail in Kabul where he would likely be hanged

What a sad ending.

> This will be how I forever remember the Taliban and sister groups like Al Queda.

Something that amazed me was to see how fast the ANA capitulated.

Billions of dollars were spent on education and training for the Afghan army so that they could stand against the Taliban. I was expecting the population to be very happy to get rid of them for good, seeing how they were treated under their regime. And yet it only took them a few weeks to completely undo decades of work. This reeked of double allegiance. In some regions, the village elders accompanied by ANA soldiers were welcoming the Taliban and cheering for their return. No fights. Worse, ANA soldiers were seen giving military supplies to the Taliban.

Apparently, families frequently sent their sons to fight on both sides of the conflict.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis Were Killed in the War. O... by kodah on Tuesday March 21, 2023 @02:46PM (#35250651)

I have long sat with a post I want to publish about being a Marine during those times. I watched as President Obama and Vice President Biden told people countlessly how well the training was going, that the takeover was progressing despite generals raising internal warnings, there were messages broadcast across SIPR about troops being shot in the back during training and operations by their counterparts. I served with a Gunny that was awarded a Bronze Star with a V because when his counterpart patrol was ambushed all of the ANA ran and left them to fight off a strong contingent by themselves. The administration lied to fullfil their desires to be free of Afghanistan rather than doing the arduous work of freeing Afghanis. You're spot on about the ANA giving away supplies and doing other things, but I suspect this was out of fear and coercion knowing that they were not ready and our ROE was significantly dialed down to the point that we could not protect them.

I hesitate to publish it because, frankly, I think it'd be co-opted by the right and ignored by the left. If meaningful change is to be made for future wars, both of them need to sit up straight and listen with sober ears.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis Were Killed in the War. O... by 908B64B197 on Tuesday March 21, 2023 @03:04PM (#35250932)

> there were messages broadcast across SIPR about troops being shot in the back during training and operations by their counterparts. I served with a Gunny that was awarded a Bronze Star with a V because when his counterpart patrol was ambushed all of the ANA ran and left them to fight off a strong contingent by themselves.

> rather than doing the arduous work of freeing Afghanis. [...] but I suspect this was out of fear and coercion knowing that they were not ready

Did they want to be free at all?

To me it sounds completely alien. A regime that abducts and coerce people into fighting for them should be fought tooth and nail by the population.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis Were Killed in the War. O... by kodah on Tuesday March 21, 2023 @03:11PM (#35251033)

I think so. They've been through generations of fighting, from internal to external, and people are tired. Religion, and the extremism of the Taliban's doctrine is also very pervasive and not something to be underestimated.

To contrast this, if you go to Kabul people wear jeans, go to nightclubs, women attend university - it's very modern and still Muslim. Most of what I've described occurs in the rural parts of Afghanistan which are predominately not served by Afghanistan's government and are thus co-opted by the Taliban and other groups.

[ Parent | on HN ]