All of this was preventable, but the U.S. military was too busy making sure all its troops were woke and reliably Leftist.
“Air Taliban: Fighters seize $6million US Blackhawk helicopters alongside tons of American equipment – while taking to the skies in captured Russian choppers as advance approaches outskirts of Kabul,” by Tom Pyman, MailOnline, August 14, 2021:
Taliban fighters today seized $6million US Blackhawk helicopters alongside tons of American equipment as they took to the skies in captured Russian choppers amid their advance through Afghanistan.
A series of videos being shared on social media show insurgents flying the Kremlin-made mi-17 aircraft around the city of Kandahar, with concerns continuing to grow over the militants’ ongoing grab for power.
Even more seismic, however, is the evidence that the Taliban have also seized American-made Blackhawk helicopters, made famous in the 2001 Ridley Scott blockbuster.
The Afghan government pilots who fly the operational Russian helicopters have been turned to the Taliban, while the US helicopters are likely to be grounded by a lack of spare parts from the United States.
The White House has spent billions of dollars on supplying the Afghan military with the necessary weapons and equipment to wipe out the Taliban, but following the collapse of local armed forces, their investment is now effectively being used by the insurgents themselves as they bid to control more and more major cities.
Social media in recent days has been awash with clips of fighters seizing weapons caches, but the taking of such high profile helicopters represents a significant statement of intent.
Fighters were today seen posing on the back of a vehicle in the city of Herat, west of Kabul, after they took the province from Afghan government. The Taliban also seized two more provinces and approached the outskirts of the capital.
It comes as Afghanistan’s fourth largest city, Mazar-e-Sharif, fell to the Taliban today after a multipronged assault launched by insurgents.
Balkh lawmaker Abas Ebrahimzada said the province’s national army corps surrendered first, which prompted the pro-government militias and other forces to lose morale and give up in the face of the onslaught.
According to the lawmaker, all of the provincial installations, including the governor’s office, are in Taliban hands.
The insurgents have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the US is set to withdraw its last troops, raising fears of a full militant takeover or another Afghan civil war.
The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the country’s second- and third-largest cities.
They now control about 24 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, leaving the Western-backed government with a smattering of provinces in the centre and east, as well as Kabul….
mortimer says
This take-over has been aided, abetted and perhaps stage-managed by Pakistan. Pakistan should pay a heavy price for sabotaging Afghanistan and helping to return it to the year 2000.
The Taliban will re-establish their reign of terror. And NATO will need to go back very soon. The sooner the better before the Taliban gets entrenched.
Crusades Were Right says
I’ve been watching a lot of BBC and CNN bulletins about the Afghanistan situation in recent days.
Anyone else noticed they seem to have dropped the “terrorist” label that was routinely applied to the Taliban over the last 20-odd years?
Funny that, isn’t it? lol
Infidel says
Yeah, in the 90s, during the Clinton years, opposing the Taliban was one of the cause célèbres in the West – attracting the support of a wide political spectrum from Laura Bush to Mavis Leno
Today, they are pretty happy to give the Taliban the same respect they give islam
Crusades Were Right says
@Infidel:
I guess the old saying is true:
“Everybody loves a winner.”
lol
gravenimage says
Grim point.
owensgate says
Say what? Leaving $6,000,000 in helicopters for the enemy on a field of battle? Does the Pentagon understand that giving AID and comfort to the enemy is TREASON? When will someone get shipped off to Leavenworth for this act of treason. No, wait. A Firing Squad.
BTeboe says
Our tax dollars at work. I believe it was done on purpose. Just another way to give support but not necessarily money. I think money changed hands as well. Yes 20 fn years and all we have to show is a pile of dead bodies and an even bigger pile of wounded ones. To think we were going to drag 7th Cen barbarians into the 21st was a huge mistake. Until you can somehow discredit Mohammed and the Qur’an or the people voluntarily choose to leave Islamic ideology, it will not change. Palms were being greased because that’s how it works. Purposefully leaving expensive military equipment is treason.
David M says
Can the Taliban actually fly the helicopters I wonder? I heard when the President fled the country there were Humvees stacked with $100 US dollars left on the runway. This looks deliberate to me too.
gravenimage says
I doubt it. I think the US still desperately hoped that the Afghan army–such as it was–was going to step up.
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
They would have stepped up – but islam got in the way…
LR says
This wasn’t planned at all…This adminstration is just plain stupid.
Like, how the hell can so many regular folks know this would be disaster, but the Prez., and his administration not know?
All I can figure is plain, willful stupidity.
But, remember it’s not Biden and Co. that are our long term problem..
It’s all those little people voting these cretins in power, and like General Silly Milli, they are sooooooo worried about all the White Supremacists that are taking over the military, and the U.S.
Posting online just ain’t gonna’ change things!
gravenimage says
*Each* helicopter costs 6 million. There were around 200 of them left to the Taliban.
Malcolm (South Afric) says
Joe Biden is already pointing the fingure at Trump. What a pathetic weakling.
Biden said in July that a Taliban takeover in Afghanistan was “highly unlikely,” but the Taliban is surging.
He said he had “trust” in the capability of the Afghan armed forces, which are being routed nationwide.
The Pentagon says ‘no outcome has to be inevitable here,” but the situation is rapidly deteriorating.
https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-trust-in-afghan-military-misplaced-taliban-makes-rapid-gains-2021-8?IR=T
LR says
Well, of course he is…
And to be fair Trump had a plan for exiting Afghanistsn. I did not agree with that either.
But, from what I can tell, so many people are so concerned about ‘the racists’ they would rather crash, and burn the U.S., than take a chance and vote any ‘evil’ Republican in.
I am trying to hang on for the ride…
Fitna says
For every one hour of flight, heli’s require 3 hours of maintenance. So in time, unless the Taliban barbarians learn how to repair them, eventually they’ll fall into disuse.
Though I’ve always opposed the lazy, costly and incompetent habit of the US military leaving its equipment around for the enemy to capture. They brought the hardware in, it means they can also take it out. This is a huge expense to US taxpayers too.
Then again, I wouldn’t put it past team Biden to deliberately aid and fund Islamic terrorism, Obama was doing the same when he was in office. In their bizarro world view, Trump, Israel, ‘western colonialism’ are the enemy, not the guys practicing Sharia law on a daily basis, amputating limbs, stoning rape victims to death, killing gays etc.
Also I belief the Afghan forces collapsed because Muslims are taught not to turn on one another. Imagine if Muslims invaded a Christian or Atheist country and trained them to kill their fellow Christians or Atheists, it would never work and that’s why US policy has always failed in the mideast.
It’s because of the respect for religion. It doesn’t matter how evil a person is, how many women/children they raped, tortured, butchered, or they haven’t showered for a year, if they wear a funny hat and declare they speak for the creator of the universe, they get instant respect.
Until the West admits that Islam-all of it, is evil and it needs to be wiped out, then western policy in Islamic nations is always doomed to failure.
If you want real results, support the minority non-Muslim Christians, Hindus, Atheists, Buddhists, etc, give them money and weapons and they will happily take their country back from the Muslim occupiers who stole their nation centuries ago.
Only then will you see a true transformation of Iraq, Afghanistan and others into free, secular nations. If your goal is to kill a few Islamic bad guys, then do it and come home. Don’t expect Muslims to kill other Muslims for you.
David M says
Well the US funds Pakistan, who are on the side of the Taliban. Pakistan might do the maintenance of the helicopters.
Walter Sieruk says
The cruel violent murderous Taliban also engages in looting . The Taliban now has stolen much US military equipment including American Blackhawk helicopters and US Humvees ,which they will use, no doubt, to murder many ofthe people of Afghanistan in their evil Islamic quest. The rest of the people of Afghanistan they let live will have to suffer under the brutal oppression of Sharia law.
Much of this awful Taliban chaos and malicious deadly mayhem of the invading and hostile Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is the result of that very incompetent ,wisdomless and ignorant bogue president Joe Biden.
In all fairness maybe Biden is just too feeble and weak and minded to even attempt to be a competent and wise US President .
For example, once when giving a short lecture Biden declared “The same stable Jesus said that the biggest problem we had in the Revolutionary war is that we didn’t have enough airports.”
Wow ! The USA has a mush brain for her Chief Executive . Poor America , how I pity her now
Malcolm (South Afric) says
Walter my apologies to you: it is doubtful that Biden could be so idiotic to say such thing. Golly gee you were spot on. The qoute is immortalised on merchandise. See below.
https://www.amazon.com/Funny-Stable-Jesus-President-Quote/dp/B095Y9BQ9Y
Walter Sieruk says
To Malcolm . I did check out that site and found the Biden quote on some tee -shirts for. sale . I actually came upon the quote from other better internet sources the a tee-shirt selling place. Still just because those words were printed on a tee-shirt place doesn’t mean that Joe Biden didn’t say that fool statement.
Nevertheless thank you for taking the time to reply to my posting.
By the way , from another tee-shirt internet selling center I did buy and do wear ,at least once a week a tee-shirt that has the words printed on it “B.I.D.E.N. – Biggest, .Idiot, Democrats ,Ever, Nominated.”
Some people on seeing me wearing that tee-shirt , like it , others become offended by it.
Well , as they say “You can’t please everyone.”
Malcolm (South Afric) says
Amazon who is selling the T shirt, is unlikely to spread disinformation on those whome they adore.
Thank you Walter for your reply though.
gravenimage says
I am *no* fan of BIden, but he said “stable genius” here–a poke at President Trump.
CogitoErgoSum says
Actually, Trump was first to bring up the Continental Army taking over the airports during the Revolutionary War.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6mZ1ofj2Vo&ab_channel=NBCNews
I myself am leaning toward DeSantis for President in 2024 but Trump would be great for Speaker of the House come 2022.
LR says
That is funny…
If you want DeSantis in…Just remember, the Dems are already way ahead. They have a very sympathetic media, billionaire Tech industry, and majority of people on their side.
If you want DeSantis in, you are going to have a very hard battle, and you are going to have to get darn good at marketing/messaging…They are already great at messaging…(And you have to sell that messaging to the coastal independents, and wafflers)…
His nickname is already, “DeathSantis”…
roberta says
Since it is logical to think there was time to burn all of the US military equipment before leaving. At least time to burn it, if not pack it up and leave with it.
This was done on purpose. No way around it. Not even incompetence is a reasonable excuse.
This equipment will find its way into the hands of someone intent on using it against Israel.
Keys says
Good points, Roberta.
Of course, Biden and handlers will say the weapons, etc. were left behind for the Afghan military to defeat the Taliban. Biden said the Afghanis had 300,000 soldiers and the Taliban only had 60,000 – so no worries. Oh, and if the Biden plan goes sour, always blame Trump.
All that is repulsive enough, but even more so is that many Americans will not only believe Biden and his reprobate Handlers, but will praise and admire them.
roberta says
”Of course, Biden and handlers will say the weapons, etc. were left behind for the Afghan military to defeat the Taliban.”
You are probably correct on all points. But this equipment was left for someone else.
These Afgani’s cant hope to fly or repair these war machines.
Press will do a cover up. It will work. You are correct.
Malcolm (South Afric) says
Those very same friendly forces, the weapons were left for, are the brothers of those who shot American troops in their bases. Really who in their right minds would give weapons to opium drugged Afghans, who disappeared from sight at the first shot , oh possible the father of crack head hunter Biden
GreekEmpress says
I’m no foreign policy wonk, but if I could predict this happening, how come the so-called “experts”
couldn’t?
LR says
Yeah, this was a big duh!
One big reason I get suspicious when someone is deemed a so called ‘expert.’
gravenimage says
Yep–I imagine just about everyone here saw this coming.
LR says
Yeah, this was a big duh!
One reason I get suspicious when someone is deemed an ‘expert.’
Walter Sieruk says
This ia all the fault of that awful man Joe Biden with his terrible judgement concerning the situation in Afghanistan. For because of the fool folly of Biden he has ,literally , ended up arming the Taliban with US military weapons
OLD GUY says
The American General in charge should be relieved, no excuse for leaving this equipment to the enemy. I can’t believe the military and intelligence people didn’t know this would happen;
Dimondreef says
Not too smart are you….6 billion not 6 million. left off three zeros. American schooling. Nobody notices the lack of smarts.
6,000,000,000=6 billion
You cant buy a single Blackhawk for 6,000,000.
Embarrassing…but consider the source.
gravenimage says
You cant (sic) buy a single Blackhawk for 6,000,000.
Embarrassing…but consider the source.
………………………
This *is* embarrasssing–but cleary not in the way Dimondreef intends:
“Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_UH-60_Black_Hawk
“…the unit cost of the Army’s UH-60L Black Hawk is $5.9 million…”
dimondreef says
Graven…upon second reading i realized I may have misread the head article. I saw an ‘of’ after $6,000,000 which doesn’t seem to be there.
They left $6,000,000,000 of stuff on the ground of which were many helos worth 6mil each less the systems.
Sad anyway you read it . The whole thing is.
I stand corrected.