Engel: Taliban Take Over Of Afghanistan ‘Was Absolutely Predictable’

NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel brings us the latest from Afghanistan as the Taliban takes over the civilian side of the Kabul airport and reports, "people were warning from here. I spoke to them." 

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Engel: Taliban Take Over Of Afghanistan 'Was Absolutely Predictable'

58 comments

  1. It looks like the afghan military was waiting for the US to leave so they could hand over the keys to the taliban.

    1. @Scientific Methodologist Biden will get the blame for the chaotic pull out. He’ll also get the credit for ending this 20 year senseless war.

    2. @Scientific Methodologist You might try to read more stuff on this subject. Trying to teach tribes to change their ways and religious beliefs was tried by the British and Russians to no avail.

    3. @Jim Brew and curing the trump era economy, stopping the pandemic, and locking up the corrupt GOP. Biden is getting it done. Go Biden!

    4. @bombastic attitude AGREE. When Biden went into the WH he had to clean the mess Trump left behind inside the US. And simultaneously, try to clean up the mess outside the US his predecessors left behind. Poor guy.

  2. It is always going to be a lose-lose situation when you’re dealing with 7th century thinking and ideologies.

    1. @Lucius Kiirus *modern wahabist Islam. Also nazism? Anyways, before the 1900s, most of Islam was pretty secular, but because of the existence of Saudi Arabia in the past century – spreading their influence, and the Iranian Revolution, it has become a much more radicalized ideology. All you have to do is look at the pre-70s Islamic world.

    2. @Russo Vlad Fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. None were from Afghanistan.

  3. Corruption. The money was not audited and it didn’t go where it was supposed to. If soldiers don’t respect and have confidence in their leaders and in their institution can you expect them to fight?

  4. There is no way anyone in Washington DC is surprised by this. I know almost nothing about the politics in Afghanistan and I could have told them this was going to happen.

  5. Our Son and his fellow Marines acknowledged the futility of further operations in Afghanistan in 2007, noting that even their Officers were questioning the wisdom of a situation that required a political settlement. Force of arms is no substitute for sound political doctrine.

    1. Probably one of the most knowledgeable people on earth about the subject not to mention one of America’s bravest journalists!

    2. My son had 2 tours of duty and stated it was impossible to make a fighting force from these jokers. Thank God, Biden pulled the plug.

    3. @Jim Brew The families of our fighting and women have received a more accurate appraisal of the Afghans than most Americans. I salute you and your family supporting them! It was hard to watch them go back repeatedly- respect from our family to yours!

    4. @Jim Brew Why would any American join their military when said military is commanded by the absolute lowest corrupt scum in D.C? And, most of the time the people who join the army have opposing political views than those in the white house, so why? It’s like joining in 2014 and then complaining about being ordered to support Syrian rebels. Well duhh what did you expect? A war to defend your country? Pfft. More like a pointless conflict to enrich the blobs in Washington. Gotta prevent that new 9/11 I guess.

  6. Why wait till the last 15 mins to get people out??? If you’ve been knowing for months you have to go??

    1. I strongly suspect a serious disconnect between what Washington was told and actual conditions on the ground.

    1. Yes. From what I understand, the Taliban broke the agreement almost immediately and when the government forces/president just cut and run, any plans/or conditions are useless.

    2. @first last We kept moving the goalposts for years as to why we should stay in Afghanistan. When American troops entered Afghanistan I was 11 years old. I’m now 31 years old

    3. @William Phillips Wow. I remember thinking back then that either Iraq or Afghanistan would be the next Vietnam, and here we are. The hawks need war to feel like men, apparently. I feel for the families on both sides who have sacrificed their loved ones so pointlessly.

  7. The great lesson learned here is this. When America says ( don’t worry bro we have your back ) our allies will know what they will get in the end. Republicans/Democrats both.

    1. @bombastic attitude the premise where you want to think this is a 50/50 give take relationship is your first mistake. We don’t do things because we get something in return. We do things that are right. Under your thinking I guess when you give a Christmas present you best get one back!!
      America like it or not has taken the spot of trying to do what’s right. The men, women , and children who live under oppressive Regimes are the ones that are helped. Then when the United States decides to just throw them back to the wolves it is wrong. All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. When you or I choose to act we then take on the responsibility of whoever we acted for’s welfare. I realize how selfish most people are and I am glad people like you are not the majority or else a lot of people including the people of the United States would be worse off. After all when the French saved our little rebellion of 1776 what did we do in return for them?

    2. @CRIMSON HAWK There was no exit plan when we entered. It was a huge mistake to not have an exit plan. The US are not “the good guys,” that’s a fairy tale, a Hollywood romance. We went into Afghanistan stupidly for revenge and we weren’t right to do it, but this collapse is the inevitable result of the stupidity of our entering. Bush-Cheney took us here by declaring an idiotic “war on terror” which has just spread more terror all over the world. Your attitude that we did what’s “right” will just lead to even more terror.

    3. @Blue Farmhouse Only if they bring manufacturing back to the USA otherwise we just keep feeding the china communist party beast which ultimately will be very bad.

    4. @Blue Farmhouse Also as tens of thousands that helped Americans in Afghanistan are in the mean time being hunted, murdered, tortured, and women are being captured ALREADY and being forced to marry taliban. All good though they don’t matter to you.

    5. @Jay Mas they matter- of course they do! When trump took office he halted for the most part Visas for those that helped us in Iraq and Afghanistan… he slowed Visas for everyone he didn’t like that wasn’t blonde or blue eyed. There are thousands that helped us. Biden should have added more manpower to speed the vetting and get the people moved out of both places but Covid was taking a toll on Americans and personnel was very limited. We will hear gut wrenching stories for years to come. Do we have manpower to get in and get the people out before the Taliban takes hostages or murders them? Who is backing the Taliban now? Russia? China? Or Saudi Arabia? I have to wonder why the misinformation on how long it would take the Taliban to reach the Capitol? Who was it that held that info from Biden? Someone working in our military helping their cult leader that is so vindictive?

  8. Yes it was. Just like it was for Russia ruining itself there.

    If the Afghanistan people wanted the taliban there was no better way to say it.

    1. It’s ok they are coming here and they have already come over the border and I wouldn’t be in a large crowd sept 11

  9. Let’s be honest the Afghan troops were never gonna fight the Taliban and were naive if we think they were. They have the same 7th Century ideology as the Taliban.

    1. We could have help get a real government, education system and infrastructure going over there. Had we used that money to make real material and political change this could have been different. Instead we enabled a horrible corrupt government and kept the money war machine going.

  10. President Biden did a great job, saving the lives of millions and ending the war in Afghanistan
    God bless President Biden 🇺🇸🙏

  11. Joe Biden should seriously hire Richard Engel and just say “screw you” to the Pentagon’s “senior” officials.

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