Taliban advance as Afghans fail to retake Kunduz

[unhappycamper]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2015/09/29/taliban-advance-afghans-fail-retake-city/1l0l6f1lNa8RbqiJn10i4H/story.html



A Taliban fighter adorned his motorcycle with a Taliban flag on Tuesday in the northern Afghanistan city of Kunduz, which was seized Monday.

Taliban advance as Afghans fail to retake Kunduz
By Joseph Goldstein and Mujib Mashal New York Times
September 30, 2015

KABUL — Afghanistan was plunged deeper into crisis a day after the Taliban seized the northern city of Kunduz, as the insurgents on Tuesday kept assaulting the reeling Afghan security forces and the government struggled to mount a credible response.

Not only did a promised government counteroffensive on Kunduz not make headway during heavy fighting on Tuesday, but the day ended with yet another aggressive Taliban advance, with insurgents surrounding the airport to which hundreds of Afghan forces and at least as many civilians had retreated, thinking it would be safe.

After more than a day of relative silence as the situation worsened around Kunduz, the US military showed the first signs of increased involvement in what the Pentagon called “a setback,” conducting at least two airstrikes and reportedly more as attacks continued at the airport late Tuesday.

Beyond the Taliban’s gains in Kunduz, there was evidence that the insurgents were also pushing a broader offensive in northern Afghanistan, officials said. One particular point of concern was Takhar province, just east of Kunduz, where the insurgents were said to be heavily assaulting military checkpoints and government facilities in several districts during the past two days.

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10,000 boots on the ground and these are the headlines we are seeing?

Are we now doing Peace With Honor? (&%TE$R&*IU Henry the K.

[merrily]

1. They seem nice.

(Imagine that said in the voice Jon Stewart used when describing people like this.)

I must admit that even Sanders voted for the war in Afghanistan. He said he did so because he thought it important that Bin Laden be brought to justice. Turns out, bombing Afghan civilians didn't do that trick anyway and what did do that trick (bringing Bin Laden to justice) was not a war.

(Personally, I believed the very early story that Bin Laden had already escaped to Pakistan in a burka.)