M
member 3289
Guest
Mapping the advance of the Taliban in Afghanistan
Maps of Afghanistan show who controls districts in fighting between the government and Taliban forces.
www.bbc.co.uk
Yes, they do. Let's be conservative and say 70% - the Taliban claimed 85% of physical territory in July and have made gains since.They don't hold anywhere near either of these figures.
I don't know how on earth you came up with the figure that 90% of Afghanistan's population is urban. That's the stat that isn't even remotely true.
90%, 26%. We're just splitting hairs at this point.Yes, they do. Let's be conservative and say 70% - the Taliban claimed 85% of physical territory in July and have made gains since.
They don't exaggerate nearly as much as people think. They produce their own reports to legitimize their shadow governance structures and observers like the Long War Journal (neocons, but have proven to be the best at mapping the developments) have cross-referenced the reports over time with other maps to note that they are fairly accurate. Yes, they exaggerate of course. So does the Afghan government.
The government is increasingly confined to population centres, with the exception of central Hazarajat where they still exercise control over a swathe of territory. Even that is precarious now.
Look at the map you showed above. If you believed that map, then the whole province of Nimruz just flipped from 'blue' to 'red' out of nowhere. It's complete bollocks. The Taliban has controlled large portions of that territory for a while. Most of those 'contested' districts are situations where the government controls central population centres and the Taliban control everything else. As in, they control most of the territory.
The Long War Journal estimates that more people live in Taliban controlled districts than government controlled ones now. You'd have to guess as to the split in contested districts but 50/50 is not at all an unreasonable estimate.
I don't know how on earth you came up with the figure that 90% of Afghanistan's population is urban. That's the stat that isn't even remotely true.
I think the concept of 'control' is also pretty silly in some instances. The Afghan government is partly comprised of a bunch of warlords who control their own personal armies, and the Taliban operates in certain areas without really functionally controlling them and which can be, and often are, easily retaken by government forces when they can be bothered.90%, 26%. We're just splitting hairs at this point.
That and most of the areas the Taliban "re-takes" are abandoned by government forces before fighting really escalates.I think the concept of 'control' is also pretty silly in some instances. The Afghan government is partly comprised of a bunch of warlords who control their own personal armies, and the Taliban operates in certain areas without really functionally controlling them and which can be, and often are, easily retaken by government forces when they can be bothered.
I have heard someone describe the Afghan President as the 'Mayor of Kabul' and that's somewhat accurate.
It's pretty darkly funny and telling that victory is now being defined as 'yeah, well, the Taliban only controls like half of Afghanistan, so there'.
Fuck you you Taliban sympathizerThat and most of the areas the Taliban "re-takes" are abandoned by government forces before fighting really escalates.
What's clubhouse? I don't get it
What's clubhouse? I don't get it
I've been trying to toe the Afghan government line in this thread and others on this topic, but it is becoming more and more untenable with each passing day.Fuck you you Taliban sympathizer
Holy fuck bud90%, 26%. We're just splitting hairs at this point.
'I bravely proposed that other people keep fighting for me, because I was too scared to keep fighting alone. So without these cowards fighting in my place, I surrendered along with them, like a badass.'Saw this earlier. The Taliban have been assassinating afghan air force pilots. Now there are all deserting so they had no air support. I read that the USA had been providing air support in its place. Whole situation is fucked.
Also, Britain petitioned NATO to remain and provide ground support to suppress these anticipated attacks after the us left and not one of those cocksuckers would step up. Hence we had to leave too
I wonder what would happen if western governments legitimately left the middle east alone for 12 months. No military, no "training forces", no arms deals, no political meddling, just picked up and left.'I bravely proposed that other people keep fighting for me, because I was too scared to keep fighting alone. So without these cowards fighting in my place, I surrendered along with them, like a badass.'
- The UK
800 or so troops the UK had there would likely be getting shot up and stomped out by now. He made the right decision. However at least he saw what would happen and tried to do something other than just leave them to it. I'm glad the UK diddnt try to go all Sparta tho. Wouldn't have gone well.'I bravely proposed that other people keep fighting for me, because I was too scared to keep fighting alone. So without these cowards fighting in my place, I surrendered along with them, like a badass.'
- The UK
This is the whole argument of the UK. Helmand and Kandahar are under seige and we had lots of interpreters and friendly locals there. Now they are being hunted down. It's fucked up to just leave them.this type of shit is bound to happen as soon as the US support ended
Taliban most likely go down the hit-list of all individuals who helped out the US and ask either they're with us or against us and kill everyone who doesn't come aboard
US needs to do a better job of protecting it's friendly forces, the ones who fought alongside, like get em a citizenship to the US or something instead of letting them just die
Afghanistan isn't considered the Middle East but that is a nitpick.I wonder what would happen if western governments legitimately left the middle east alone for 12 months. No military, no "training forces", no arms deals, no political meddling, just picked up and left.
'At least he saw' - they all saw it coming. They didn't leave because they thought everything was going to be fine.800 or so troops the UK had there would likely be getting shot up and stomped out by now. He made the right decision. However at least he saw what would happen and tried to do something other than just leave them to it. I'm glad the UK diddnt try to go all Sparta tho. Wouldn't have gone well.