[jbartle1]

After 20 years, equipment de-militarized, all military gone.

[Topspinmo]

And I hope we learned another valuable lesson again? Don’t get into to these useless never ending wars where people won’t fight for their country or even want us in their country. IMO we never should of set foot in Afghanistan, Iraq, or VN. Also IMO not one American life was worth it. Course, when I was young and dumb I believed all the B_s indoctrinated in me while I was in military for 20 years.

[manaboutown]

Planes, guns, night-vision goggles: The Taliban'''s new U.S.-made war chest | Reuters

[tvbound]

Mixed emotions. While almost 2,400 brave American heroes lost their lives in the last 20 years there, as even the Brit's and Russian's found out before us, there is no way to "defeat" a country that really isn't a country - but just a lot of individual warlord fiefdoms. As a reminder, our original reason for going there in the first place was to go after Al Qaeda which planned and accomplished the attacks on 9/11. From that perspective, we were successful and those lost lives - were not in vain.

However, since Al Qaeda operated with the implicit support of the 'old Taliban,' we'll just have to see if ISIS (of some sort) or another similar terrorist group is able to eventually do the same with this supposedly new Taliban. The ONLY other option to leaving, was to stay there forever and continue to lose our brave men and women - in perpetuity.

[Velvet]

I can’t tell you how happy I am about this. I know I’m a bit selfish, but our plein air painting group in Hawaii has a member who was deployed 5 times to Afghanistan. He went back even when his son was born. When we asked why, he said he sent his men out and they sometimes returned badly injured or with missing limbs. He could not leave these people behind.

Stress was very high where his group was. He got most of them to paint the Afghani sky and landscape to relax. We would send so much art supply to his troop that he finally had to ask us to stop. Now he is back in Hawaii! Finally.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by jbartle1

After 20 years, equipment de-militarized, all military gone.

Or rather, OUR military gone, Taliban and ISIS remain. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

[MrFlorida]

Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Will we ever learn ?

[billethkid]

The rhetoric allows stating we met an arbitrary date.
We will see in the coming days if we are really out.

[BoatRatKat]

Originally Posted by linko38

Technically we left Americans and a our allies behind. The American government refuses to let any one help. They left behind the service dogs to starve in cages! This is a national disgrace! The Taliban was given names of all the people who helped and the Americans. May God protect them.

Agreed, an absolute disgrace!

[Villages Kahuna]

We should have learned from history. Since the 1800’s the English tried unsuccessfully to occupy Afghanistan three different times, the French and Russians once each, and now our long and expensive attempt costing incredible blood and treasure.

Afghanistan has been returned to harsh, brutal Islamic rule. As one Taliban commander once said, Our invaders always have more weapons and money but they always forget—we have more time.

[SacDQ]

Originally Posted by jbartle1

After 20 years, equipment de-militarized, all military gone.

I suggest everyone read the portion below of of Dwight D Eisenhower’s speech on the influence and control of the Military complex.


Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

[Billy1]

Praise the Lord, we are out of Afghanistan, God is good.

[lwmilo]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

And I hope we learned another valuable lesson again? Don’t get into to these useless never ending wars where people won’t fight for their country or even want us in their country. IMO we never should of set foot in Afghanistan, Iraq, or VN. Also IMO not one American life was worth it. Course, when I was young and dumb I believed all the B_s indoctrinated in me while I was in military for 20 years.

Amen brother....Namvet 1968

[TNLAKEPANDA]

I don’t believe the equipment was de-militarized. We can no longer believe everything we are told. Why the hell did they leave all that equipment behind in the first place??? Terrible decision by our Government!

[nob77@comcast.net]

Here we go……