I do not think it is quite as bad as it appears in Kabul. Although it is pretty bad — but see this —
www.military.com/…
We do now control the airport and the flights for evacuations are now hourly and they expect to be able to get up to 9,000 people out a day — “... including Americans, Afghan refugees and other nations' citizens” — big problem is going to be getting to the airport.
It is pretty telling that to get control of that airport we had to send units from Bragg — 82nd Airborne to do it — as in — we completely miscalculated that the Afghan army could hold at all. In fact, they will probably be remembered as the worst army in the history of the world.
I personally think they will not challenge American soldiers in this. Americans don’t throw their guns down and run and they are fighting to get their Afghan friends and our people out of there. They are motivated and pissed.
We collectively remember the Montinyards (sp) so to speak. This is not the fall of Saigon. And unlike Dunkirk, we completely control the air. And by the way — we are detouring whole carrier groups there right now.
If they were going to oppose us — the Taliban — they would have by now. They have not. Maybe it occurs to them that they could sure snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, I think.
Anyway — this has not begun to play out there. I think.
What if we gave our Afghan helpers conditional American citizenship right now — just on the word of the officers that commanded them in the field — no other paperwork. By executive order. Would the Taliban really go after an American citizen — conditional or otherwise — with all hell hanging over their heads in American air forces? I think we know exactly where their leaders are right now. I think it is a good question.
We are a very violent and vengeful people — just who we are. Just a fact.