Our mission in Afghanistan is successful, says U.S. Secretary of State Blinken

[Klaralven]

The Taliban were on the brink of total victory, with their fighters ordered to wait on the outskirts of Kabul
US embassy staff in Kabul were being moved Sunday to the airport as Taliban forces advanced on the Afghan capital, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

The Taliban were on the brink of total victory, with their fighters ordered to wait on the outskirts of Kabul and the government conceding it was preparing for a “transfer of power.”

“It’s why we had forces on hand to make sure we could do this in a safe and orderly fashion. The compound itself, folks are leaving there and going to the airport,” Mr. Blinken told ABC.

Despite the precipitous move, he rejected comparisons with the chaotic American departure from Saigon in 1975 as the Vietnam War drew to a close.

“This is not Saigon,” Mr. Blinken told ABC. “The fact of the matter is this: We went to Afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission in mind. That was to deal with the people that attacked us on 9/11. That mission has been successful.”

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/our-mission-in-afghanistan-is-successful-says-us-secretary-of-state-blinken/article35926446.ece

[former9thward]

1. If that was the mission then we should have left 19 years ago.

[leftstreet]

2. +1

[KG]

3. !

[treestar]

4. the killing of bin Laden

was in 2011 though so what were the last 10 years about?

If keeping it stable, then we would have to stay forever, it appears.

But that was the only reason; if Al Qaeda isn't in existence there any more.

[Devil Child]

5. He's right, this isn't Saigon. It's worse than Saigon.

[paleotn]

9. Ummm....no.

For those of us who remember the fall of Saigon in '75.

[ansible]

13. Did the Fall of Saigon leave billions of dollars of military equipment to the enemy?

[Devil Child]

14. +1 ansible

[paleotn]

17. No.

[paleotn]

16. Yes.

We fully outfitted the ARVN for years. All that became North Vietnamese property.

[Devil Child]

19. Yeah, but at least ARVN used it for years before surrender

ANA folded in weeks while handing everything over in brand new unused condition.

[paleotn]

20. We were equipping the ARVN DURING the '75 spring offensive....

that turned into the spring rout, that turned into helo's on the US embassy roof. We equipped them before we put boots on the ground in '65 and continued unabated for 10 years. No yea, buts about it. This is in no way, shape or form worse than the fall of South Vietnam.

[Devil Child]

22. You do realize helos are on the roof of the US embassy as we speak?

And taliban is now within shooting range of the airport?

Link to tweet

?s=20

We have clear difference of view. I hope your more optimistic view plays out.

[paleotn]

24. And how exactly is this WORSE than Saigon in '75?

A little history for you from those of us alive at the time.

[Devil Child]

26. Because it was "a little accelerated"

[paleotn]

29. Not really. The NVA hadn't planned for a full on invasion of the south until '76

but accelerated the time table as the ARVN disintegrated in the central highlands. It took less than 60 days for the whole country to fall.

Interesting view from AP reports on the ground in Saigon before, during and after the fall. The more things change, the more they stay the same..

[Devil Child]

30. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

Ain't that the truth, thanks for the vid. I will check it out.

Happy Sunday to you paelotn.

[paleotn]

31. And to you.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. lol what on earth

[Raven123]

7. I think Blinken is conflating issues.

Yes, we accomplished the mission to get Bin Laden. Biden administration is not responsible for the intervening 20 years. However, the withdrawal of US forces, diplomats and our allies is a separate issue and clearly not going as planned. Sending forces and then adding more does not send the message that this is an “orderly” withdrawal.

[Bev54]

10. Trump and Pompeo released 5000 Taliban prisoners

Who the hell do you think are now fighting for the Taliban to overrun the country?

[Raven123]

27. Are you suggesting Biden/Blinken didn't know that and couldn't plan for the impact?

[Devil Child]

28. Anyone's plans can fail, and they clearly did here.

[Raven123]

32. Exactly! The administration should just say it loud and clear:

“We overestimated the political will of the 300,000 Afghan military. We made a serious mistake.”

[Bev54]

33. I think they made a big mistake by trusting anything the Taliban said

but Trump set this up to begin with, the US could not pull out of the talks with Taliban without everyone screaming. There was no winning here for anybody except the Taliban which were embolden by Trump

[Raven123]

35. I agree. Own the mistake, clearly and publicly. It's a festering now

Biden’s July 8th comments that this wouldn’t happen are being replayed over and over. It’s mind numbing and frustrating. I can only hope there is a strategic reason for Biden’s silence.

[Chainfire]

8. Successful?

The word must have a new dictionary definition.

We failed 20 years ago, no amount linguistic acrobatics will ever change that. So we will consider "success" getting out without having to remove embassy staff from the rooftops? We won't see films of tossing helicopters off of carrier decks? The test to my hypothesis is not whether our SoS see it as success or failure, but how our enemies and allies see it.

Biden is doing what should have been done decades ago. Lets see if he is wise enough not to repeat the same kind of "successful venture."

[honest.abe]

11. What he is saying is basically true but that was accomplished early on.

It didn’t take 20 years. He should have clarified that as his statement sounds ridiculous.

[yellowcanine]

12. Okay we needed to leave but a victory lap is not appropriate. This was not a win.

Let's get real.

[paleotn]

15. Well defined end game and end state. This operation had neither.

At least nothing that could actually be reasonable accomplished. Nation building is a fools errand in places that don't want our version of nationhood.

And make no mistake. This is a surprise only to the talking heads on CNN, MSNBC.... Outside of a few "true believers", multiple administrations, the intelligence community and the military knew this was inevitable. The time line may be a little accelerated, but still inevitable.

[Devil Child]

23. "a little accelerated"

Well yeah that is a rosy understatement.

Soviet backed DRA at least held Afghanistan for two years following the successful and orderly Soviet withdrawal.

[Solly Mack]

18. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

[Disaffected]

21. Crap, we are back to

"declare victory and retreat" are we?

[David__77]

25. If US personnel get out safely, that's success.

So many liberals upset about the US pulling out!

[iemanja]

34. If that is a success, what does failure look like?

It's a clusterfuck.