Clickbait title. Sue me.
Why Taliban has effectively won
US has been trying to get Taliban to the table since July for reconciliation talks but they couldn't agree on the terms
A couple of weeks ago, the Taliban cancelled talks with the US, insisting they wouldn't negotiate with the Afghan govt
The US is now talking with Taliban on their terms (no 'Kabul puppet regime' at the table) [source]
Suing for peace on the enemy's terms is what happens when you lose a war.
Failing to secure any influence in the country and pulling out is another sign the other guys won.
Yesterday the Taliban wiped an entire company of Afghan soldiers, showing they have the upper hand on the ground. (video below)
Conflicting media reports
CNN reports this attack as "Afghanistan: At least 12 dead in Taliban attack on military base" [link]
WSJ reports: "Insurgents Attack Intelligence-Agency Base in Afghanistan, Killing Dozens" [link]
India Today reports: "Taliban attack on Afghanistan military base kills over 100" [link]
Hope is not lost
Officially there are 14,000 troops & around 30,000 contractors working in Afghanistan.
It's possible the war will just go further underground with just private contractors, covert ops & drones, with some troops securing the airfields.
Comments
(Member)
this is what happens when you start a war with the people and not a goverment army
(Old Spike)
Taliban were the government in Afghanistan prior to the invasion in 2001. I don't know what kind of army they had before but they're about to inherit a bunch of new toys.