If Trump were still president, the news would be all about how the Afghan people are suffering because he irresponsibly and cravenly abandoned our “mission” there. As it is, Hamas-linked AP reports this announcement without comment. It is a shame, but the Afghan people will have to stop the Taliban if they don’t want them. It is the responsibility of the U.S. military to protect the American people, which it should now do by ensuring that the Taliban cannot export jihad. Of course, the U.S. military has other priorities now.
“Taliban say they now control 85% of Afghanistan’s territory,” by Daria Litvinova, Associated Press, July 9, 2021:
MOSCOW (AP) — The Taliban claimed on Friday that they now control 85% of Afghanistan’s territory amid a surge in wins on the ground and as American troops complete their pullout from the war-battered country.
The announcement came at a press conference at the end of a visit by a senior Taliban delegation to Moscow this week — a trip meant to offer assurances that the insurgents’ quick gains in Afghanistan do not threaten Russia or its allies in Central Asia.
The claim, which is impossible to verify, was considerably higher than previous Taliban statements that more than a third of the country’s 421 districts and district centers were in their control. There was no immediate response from the government in Kabul on the latest claim.
Earlier this week, Taliban advances forced hundreds of Afghan soldiers to flee across the border into Tajikistan, which hosts a Russian military base. Tajikistan in turn called up 20,000 military reservists to strengthen its southern border with Afghanistan. Russian officials have expressed concern that the Taliban surge could destabilize the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations north of Afghanistan.
Since mid-April, when President Joe Biden announced the end to Afghanistan’s “forever war,” the Taliban have made strides throughout the country. They recently have swept through dozens of districts, taking control, often without a fight. Over the past week, they seized border crossings with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and on Thursday, with Iran.
However, at the Moscow presser, the Taliban promised not to attack provincial capitals or seize them by force, and expressed hopes for a “political resolution” with Kabul.
“We will not seize provincial capitals in order not to inflict death on Afghan citizen,” said Taliban negotiator Mawlawi Shahabuddin Delawar.
Guarantees for that have been presented to the Afghan authorities, along with demands for the release of more Taliban prisoners from Afghan jails, Dilawar said. He added that the Taliban now control 85% of Afghan territory.
The Taliban also vowed they would “not allow anyone, any individual, any entity to use the soil of Afghanistan against the neighboring country, regional country and world country, including the United States and its allies.”…
Walter Sieruk says
When that Taliban official spokesman said that “They now control 85% of Afghanistan’s territory….” That one of few time, that this brutal , violent and murderous Islamic entity had declared the truth.
We may be sure that that aggressive and vicious Taliban will not stop until they have obtained all of that land, “by hook of by crook” they will.
This also exposes what a simple -minded old fool Joe Biden is by not understanding this obvious and terrible reality . For Biden said “The likelihood that there’s going to be a Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.”
That statement of Biden shows what an ignorant man is really is.
SAFI says
Unpopular opinion: I hope fellow commentators here won’t take wrong what I’m about to say but while I do think Robert Spencer has a point about the media’s obvious anti-Trump bias, I also don’t think this is really the kind of topic that lends itself to anti-Biden messaging, considering that all Biden really did here was what Trump before him had promised to do and it’s also something which as far as I know jihad watch and Robert Spencer had long advocated… Unless of course someone has consistently opposed US withdrawal both under Biden & under the previous US andministration.
Infidel says
I quite agree. As I noted yesterday, this is the sole policy of Biden’s where I agree w/ him, since he didn’t reverse it just for the sake of undoing Trump’s policy. And he at least had the Neocon support to gain, since the Liz Cheneys, Max Boots and so on generally support him these days, and this would have made them really happy
Walter Sieruk says
We may all be sure that the Taliban will not be satisfied until they have obtained the remaining 15% of that land for the reestablishment of harsh rule of sharia law,
gravenimage says
Afghanistan: Taliban say they now control 85% of the country
………………..
Given the honesty of the Taliban, this may or may not be true. Certainly, though, they are poised to take over again as soon as we leave. But many Afghans will welcome this; we cannot civiized this Islamic country. Best to get out now–something we should have done almost two decades ago.
Vicky says
They should have given weapons such as handguns to every Afghan adult and then let them handle the Taliban. Back in the Wild Wild West, everybody owned weapons and no slaughter occurred.
gravenimage says
Most Afghans adhere to the same creed as the Taliban does. In the wild West, many people had decent values–in Afghanistan, which is almost 100% Muslim, not so much…
Keith O says
Your right Vicky, no slaughter occurred, unless of course you take into account the native Americans that were butchered by the military and that started the tit for tat indian wars.
And I wouldn’t like my chances using a handgun against the assault rifles that the Taliban have.
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Afghans can’t have it both ways. Either they are willing to fight for a democracy or they will have to live with the consequences of living under the influence and dictates of an uncompromising and relentless proto-nazi government.
Infidel says
Pretty much. We (stupidly) helped them write a new constitution, ‘re’-built that country far better than we found it, although the Taliban and others kept blowing up things that we built. It’s up to the Afghans to decide how much they value their freedom, and if they do, to oppose the Taliban. If they don’t, it’s not our responsibility to keep babysitting them forever
Infidel says
Of course the Taliban don’t threaten Russia’s allies in Central Asia. The Taliban are, in addition to being islamic, a Pashtun party, and are opposed by Tajiks, Uzbeks and Turkmen minorities in Afghanistan. Since those are the ethnic brethren of the people of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, those countries are not gonna have pro-Taliban fifth columnists in their countries. And despite the Taliban capturing US weaponry, those countries still have militaries fully capable of defending their countries from a Taliban led Afghanistan
I think the Taliban would be more interested in supporting a Pashtun insurgency in Pakistan as well as their Paki offshoot – Tehreek-e-Taliban, than incurring the wrath of Russia
OLD GUY says
If we close our borders to the Muslim/islamic world we can save a lot of trouble,
If we take decisive action when they attack Americans or our infrastructure, carpet bomb the hell of them then this shit will stop. If we continue to just pussy foot around with these islamic leaders this will go on forever. When the populations of these muslim/islamic countries are more afraid of us than the Taliban or what ever radical islamic group than things will change.
Peter says
There will be exodus of Afghans . It will create a big refugee problem .If majority of Afghans can get out ,it will create a situation similar to Napoleonic Conquest of Moscow. I do not think that majority of Afghans are happy with Taleban but they are the ones with guns .It is pure intimidation which is the founding principle of Mohamed of Islam ,that could explain the success of Taleban. One day Afghanistan will be really free and I think if Ghani is wise he should start consulting Russians and join forces with them to defend his country.