Afghan government could fall to Taliban in 90 days, say US officials

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Afghan government could fall to Taliban in 90 days, say US officials

Sarposa prison in Kandahar is latest site overrun by militants, with almost 1,000 prisoners released

Akhtar Mohammad Makoii in Herat, Peter Beaumont and Julian Borger in Washington
Wed 11 Aug 2021 19.36 BST

US officials have warned that Afghanistan’s government could fall in 90 days, with Kabul isolated in as little as a month, as the Taliban overran the central Sarposa prison in Kandahar, the country’s second largest city, releasing almost 1,000 prisoners.

The fall of Kandahar – sometimes called the capital of the south – would be a devastating blow for the Afghan government after a week in which the Taliban have swept up provincial capitals around the country in a lightning offensive.

The latest setback for Afghan government forces came as Joe Biden urged Afghan leaders to “fight for their nation” after rapid advances by the Taliban.

The White House spokesperson, Jen Psaki, repeated the administration line on Wednesday, saying: “They have what they need. What they need to determine is whether they have the political will to fight back, and if they have the ability to unite as leaders to fight back.”

She added: “We will continue to provide close air support. We’ll continue to resupply their forces with food and equipment, and pay all their salaries.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/11/joe-biden-urges-afghans-to-fight-for-their-nation-as-taliban-advance-continues

[Chainfire]

1. At least the worst of the fighting will be over.

Of course the killing, the retributions will continue for a while, but maybe before long the Afghans can have some sort of peace. It may not be under the terms or conditions that we prefer, but it ain't our country to run. We do not need to be providing "close air support" to a losing cause; it just adds more misery and death without any kind of justifiable rewards. The Taliban is leading 42 to nothing with final 30 seconds of the 4th quarter, and sitting on a first and goal.... the situation is decided.

Some day, when wiser folks will run our government, and they will tell the folks who want to get involved in someone else's civil war to go to straight to hell.