The Afghanistan country military appears to have stopped fighting against the Taliban enemy forces in quick order.  The whole country seems to have been taken over within weeks.  Why?  Looking over many news reports one single factor really stands out.  The individual Afghan soldier seems to have realized that no one had his back.  He was not getting normal expected support for his own existence and efforts.  The military is one major arm of a whole country’s political process and existence.   If a system’s arm or leg is seen to be severed then the outcome that the system is pursuing is in trouble.  It appears that the Afghanistan military was not properly supported to fight with ALL the single factors required for the fighting effort.  In fact, numerous support deficiencies have been reported.  

Here are some of the major individual factors and reasons to promote the feeling that each Afghan soldier felt he was not getting proper support:

• Poor military supply including ammo to Afghan military fighters.  
• Lack of pay.
• Lack of food.
• Lack of water.
• Lack of proper effective military leadership.

In addition to the important list of individual items that a soldier needs to be a good warrior, there seems to be also the view of how competent the military leadership is.  

The Afghanistan political leaders at the top of the political pyramid were viewed as being possibly corrupt due to these factors:

Self dealing:  “… wounded soldiers in a prestigious military hospital were left to starve if they did not bribe nurses for food.”

Corruption:   “Rampant corruption and poor leadership have taken a terrible toll. Soldiers complain of not being paid or not getting food or ammunition.”

Incompetence: “A small coterie of palace officials without military experience are widely held to have disastrously micromanaged strategy.”

US Government used wrong approach:  “We should have invested in Afghan forces from the outset, and fought this entire campaign by, with and through them.”

Future implications for the United States political system:  

It appears that President Biden’s administration failed to perform a proper civilized withdrawal from Afghanistan.  It appears that the people who advised the administration may have bungled the withdrawal planning.  As a result, this simply awful event may have given the GOP added support for the next round of elections.

 

 

Posted August 15, 2021