Today seems like a good day if you're Taliban, Al-Qaeda, AQAP, AQIS, AQIM, ISIS, Lashkar-e Tayyiba, Haqqani Network, Ansar al-Dine, Hurras al-Din, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram.... I could go on.
Sing it with me.
@th3j35t3r Pretty sure China and Russia are not upset with this outcome.
@mcfate @th3j35t3r with a concentration of forces in Kabul and a lack of assistance from the United States I would say that since Russia was just conducting exercises 20 kilometers from the border, that they may have evened the odds a bit, but you are probably right, nothing to worry our troubled little hearts over, besides, what do I know? Sure the trillion dollar lithium deposits will remain secure with the 75,000 Taliban guarding them.
So, keep the US military there forever, then? "Take the lithium"?
Seriously?
I'm still waiting for you to tell me how Russia's previous Afghanistan adventures wound up for them.
By the way, Afghanistan may have a bunch of lithium buried underneath it, but it certainly isn't a major producer of it, nor does it have any sort of a corner on the world lithium supply.
I expect that trillion dollars worth of lithium will stay nice and secure in the ground, like it has for the past decade.
How would I know what it is? There's no link to anything. I could make that in Photoshop in three minutes.
Do you not have anything better to offer here?
Honestly, wake up: the Afghan government sold ITS OWN MILITARY down the river the very first chance they could. They haven't been paying their own damned soldiers or police. We give 'em money, they pocket it.
You seem to think this is a tenable strategy, for some completely inexplicable reason.
"Lithium", maybe.
Even if that's accurate, it supports my belief that China's not making any headway there.
You present that as evidence of a Chinese "success" somehow?
@mcfate Wake up. Cute. How do you suppose the new regime will pay for their new government if not by hawking their natural resources? I agree the Afghan troops were sold out. I agree that U.S forces occupying the country is not going to make things better. Sure, this was an unwinnable war to begin with, but you shouldn’t discount the idea that Russia and China will use this as an opportunity to benefit from a common enemy…
Well, they're off to a great start, failing to make promised investments and getting caught spying.
Okay, US troops wouldn't make things better.
Okay, this was never winnable.
YET YOU WANT TO PUT US TROOPS AT RISK, REGARDLESS. An endless war with no possible "exit strategy", in which they can't win, and they can't break even.
Justify that.
@mcfate My kid is one of those from the 82nd being sent there. The last thing I want is more troops there. In no way have I ever said anything that resembled that. You assume that I want troops there because I point out the obvious global impact of this regional destabilization.
Okay, so you don't want troops there, but you're complaining that if they're NOT there, China will steal all the lithium.
I see.
@mcfate I am concerned with anyone hoarding Lithium, Cesium, and Rubidium. You should be too…
:: yawn ::
Nobody's "hoarding" lithium, buddy. I showed you that already. Remember?
Next time I'm looking for someone to tell me what I ought to be making myself anxious about, you'll be right at the top of the list.
If you try to send me any sort of an invoice, I'm just tearing it up, though.
@mcfate The top of the list. How endearing.
I've told you about the attempts at snark, spud. Seriously, you can't pull it off.
@mcfate My mom is dead, that explains why I keep digging…
You're digging your way into an oubliette.
@mcfate that first article was from Foreign Policy. I would have sent a link, but the last link I sent you did not meet your discernment. I feel even a cable from JWICS would not sway your firmly held opinions. I am not trying to sway you one way or another. You seem to be the esteemed expert on foreign policy so I will refrain from bothering you with my speculation.
You thought you'd send me something WORSE than a link? Outstanding.
You should really try dropping the "snarking down from above" act, it's totally not working for you.
Let's not overlook the "based on the headline, it makes my case better than it does yours" part.
@mcfate @th3j35t3r Well, they have had about as much luck as the U.S. has… I don’t think I proposed anything about staying there. I have seen the devastation with my own eyes and would not wish it upon anyone, but to think that there is not a possibility that China and Russia will use this destabilization to their advantage is naive.
Okay, so staying is bad, and leaving is bad.
Got it.
Still waiting to hear how Russia's last attempt at using Afghani "destabilization to their advantage" went.
Seems naive to me to imagine their luck will be any better this time around.
@chirpSec @th3j35t3r
Remind me, what's Russia's luck in Afghanistan been like?