If the Taliban were in the UK?
Discussion
The Taliban branch of Islam seems to be taking Afghanistan city by city.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58135148
Would they be able to take regional cities if based in the UK?
Or what do we have that Afghanistan doesnt?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58135148
Would they be able to take regional cities if based in the UK?
Or what do we have that Afghanistan doesnt?
saaby93 said:
The Taliban branch of Islam seems to be taking Afghanistan city by city.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58135148
Would they be able to take regional cities if based in the UK?
Or what do we have that Afghanistan doesnt?
We have a country not awash with guns and a fully functioning military. They (Taliban) have waited for the US to leave. They will likely take over Afghanistan againhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58135148
Would they be able to take regional cities if based in the UK?
Or what do we have that Afghanistan doesnt?
“Taliban branch of Islam”? Is that like the IRA branch of Christianity?
Anyway, what do we have? A functioning democracy, infrastructure, a functioning military and police and a populace that is reasonably content having not been bombed and generally suffered for many years destroying all of the above (I’m not talking about the latest bit of military flexing, but the pissing about in the region related to the cold war in the middle of the last century).
Anyway, what do we have? A functioning democracy, infrastructure, a functioning military and police and a populace that is reasonably content having not been bombed and generally suffered for many years destroying all of the above (I’m not talking about the latest bit of military flexing, but the pissing about in the region related to the cold war in the middle of the last century).
bearman68 said:
What is the local population getting out of supporting them. They must be having support from the locals - where is the food, money and manpower coming from if not locally.
So, what is it that creates that support?
What did the Taliban ever do for us?
They aren't Russian, and they aren't the US puppet government?So, what is it that creates that support?
What did the Taliban ever do for us?
bearman68 said:
What is the local population getting out of supporting them. They must be having support from the locals - where is the food, money and manpower coming from if not locally.
So, what is it that creates that support?
What did the Taliban ever do for us?
They are fanatics they will never go away, plus they have grown rich from the heroin trade. However I suspect this will be for many years just an afgan problem I doubt the Taliban want to harbour Al Queda or ISIS any time soon given what happened last time.So, what is it that creates that support?
What did the Taliban ever do for us?
There was no way to win the war there without going to the extremes of war crimes so we gave the democracy an trained them then left and well the Taliban came back. Was always going to happen
But if it stays in Afghanistan then its not really our problem now
I'm not sure I agree with the idea the local population support them.
I think if a few pickups full of machine gun wielding loonies turned up at our local supermarket/petrol station demanding stuff, and there was zero probability of police or army turning up to do anything about it, then even Surrey would be under Taliban control.
I would say rather the local population suffer them.
" They should fight back" will probably be the retort. Er, the professional army have already given up and sodded off.
I do wonder why their professional army is so bad...are they just deserting? Is it a tactical repositioning to fight another day? Are they out gunned?
I'm not sure what the end solution is: especially if the Taliban control opium and therefore have endless cash.
On specific differences with the UK, I'd point at the terrain as much as the fact the last 40 years has seen 2 superpowers leave shed loads of military equipment there.
I think if a few pickups full of machine gun wielding loonies turned up at our local supermarket/petrol station demanding stuff, and there was zero probability of police or army turning up to do anything about it, then even Surrey would be under Taliban control.
I would say rather the local population suffer them.
" They should fight back" will probably be the retort. Er, the professional army have already given up and sodded off.
I do wonder why their professional army is so bad...are they just deserting? Is it a tactical repositioning to fight another day? Are they out gunned?
I'm not sure what the end solution is: especially if the Taliban control opium and therefore have endless cash.
On specific differences with the UK, I'd point at the terrain as much as the fact the last 40 years has seen 2 superpowers leave shed loads of military equipment there.
bearman68 said:
What is the local population getting out of supporting them. They must be having support from the locals - where is the food, money and manpower coming from if not locally.
So, what is it that creates that support?
What did the Taliban ever do for us?
Not killed.So, what is it that creates that support?
What did the Taliban ever do for us?
We have no concept over here but your going to side with strongest group which at present seems to be the Taliban.
I'd say it's not what we've got that they haven't, but what we don't have that they do.
The last time we had tribal leaders with the power to call upon armed men for a noble/politically beneficial cause was the Jacobite rebellion. They did rather well for themselves and might have done better still had there been more Catholic support in England, but in the end the entire system was destroyed and the clan chiefs became little more than landlords.
These days we just couldn't have it. What great unifying cause could you pull enough Brits around to support you murdering fellow Britons?
The last time we had tribal leaders with the power to call upon armed men for a noble/politically beneficial cause was the Jacobite rebellion. They did rather well for themselves and might have done better still had there been more Catholic support in England, but in the end the entire system was destroyed and the clan chiefs became little more than landlords.
These days we just couldn't have it. What great unifying cause could you pull enough Brits around to support you murdering fellow Britons?
Ian Geary said:
I'm not sure I agree with the idea the local population support them.
I think if a few pickups full of machine gun wielding loonies turned up at our local supermarket/petrol station demanding stuff, and there was zero probability of police or army turning up to do anything about it, then even Surrey would be under Taliban control.
I would say rather the local population suffer them.
So what's the difference for example between the Taliban, and say the German occupation of France (in particular), but also Greece, Scandinavia, the Low countries. Wherever the Germans went, they were subject to guerrilla warfare, even though segments of society supported them. I just don't understand how a militia can dominate the locality, if the locals don't want it to happen - short term maybe, but long term, no chance. I think if a few pickups full of machine gun wielding loonies turned up at our local supermarket/petrol station demanding stuff, and there was zero probability of police or army turning up to do anything about it, then even Surrey would be under Taliban control.
I would say rather the local population suffer them.
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