"Russia 'arming the Afghan Taliban', says US"

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"Russia is supporting and even supplying arms to the Taliban, the head of US forces in Afghanistan has told the BBC."

"In an exclusive interview, Gen John Nicholson said he'd seen "destabilising activity by the Russians."

"He said Russian weapons were smuggled across the Tajik border to the Taliban, but could not say in what quantity. Russia has denied such US allegations in the past, citing a lack of evidence."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43500299

So, given the above, the President makes a point of congratulating Putin on winning a shame election, and tells us repeatingly that he really believes what Putin tells him, all along going out of his way to attack porn stars, playboy models, and Joe Biden?

Just "making America great" by the hour

Putin is playing Trump, obviously, and Trump is playing his base, just as evident, so one can't imagine what Putin thinks of the American voting populace who actually elected this guy.
 
this has been going on for awhile. The reason isn't Putin -it's because Afghanistan continues to be a weak government, with the Taliban playing the spoiler. So much so Russia is hedging it's bets.

While Americans Fight the Taliban, Putin Is Making Headway in Afghanistan
This Russian deployment of so-called “soft power” appears to be paying dividends in ways that could hardly have been predicted when the Soviet Army left Afghanistan after nine years of war.

The Russians are ramping up political, economic and propaganda activities to improve their image and reestablish their influence amid pervasive corruption that is impeding progress in Afghanistan.

Regardless of the gains that have been made in some areas, masses of unemployed Afghans have lost hope and are emigrating in unprecedented numbers. Afghan soldiers are fighting valiantly, but terrorist attacks are on the rise and the U.S.-backed Afghan government appears incapable of establishing security across the country. The bulk of U.S. and NATO military forces have departed, aggravating Afghan fears of being abandoned again by the West.

Russia is seeking to “help shape events on the ground” by cultivating closer ties to the Afghan government.

According to the Moscow-based Center for Contemporary Afghan Studies, Russia is seeking to “help shape events on the ground” by cultivating closer ties to the Afghan government.

Russia has expanded its embassy staff and signed a security agreement with Afghanistan in 2016, reportedly shipping in 10,000 Kalashnikov rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition. In the economic sphere, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, promised to support Afghanistan's housing sector during his February meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

The Russian Embassy spent $20 million to rebuild the abandoned Soviet Friendship Center. Hoping that it will regain its previous role in promoting an affinity for Russia, the embassy reopened it as the new Russian Cultural Center, but many Afghans still use the original Soviet name. And that's just one of 150 projects Moscow has undertaken at a cost of tens of millions of dollars in its effort to restore Russia's lost economic and cultural clout in Afghanistan.

Although this level of expenditure is small in comparison to the billions of dollars being spent by other countries, Russia, unlike the U.S., has an effective propaganda apparatus to publicize its aid projects. Pro-Russian media promote the perception that Soviet infrastructure projects, such as the Salang Tunnel and the Band-e Sardeh dam, were better built than what came afterwards.

Pro-Russian stories depict a stark contrast with wasteful U.S. spending. Independently, wasteful U.S. spending has been documented in reports from the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

Intent on promoting a positive image among Muslims, Russia has publicly announced assistance to the Taliban to help it resist ISIS and promote peace negotiations.

General John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and other American officials see it differently. They accuse Russia of aiding the Taliban to destabilize Afghanistan and undermine U.S. interests.

From Russia's perspective, however, the dual strategy of backing the government and the insurgents positions it to accommodate whoever comes out ahead. Afghans add matter-of-factly that Russia, in keeping with its long history of involvement in their country, also exerts influence through covert funding to political leaders and groups outside the government.

At present, Russia is enjoying a remarkable comeback in the land that once fought so violently to expel it. According to an experienced Afghan businessman, the growing Russian engagement in Kabul business ventures and other activities produces negative comparisons with Americans.

While the latter have gained a reputation for living behind walls, afraid to venture out among Afghans because of the terrorist threat, the Russians reportedly walk the streets openly, take taxis and visit Afghan associates and friends in their homes without security escorts.
https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/07/while-americans-fight-the-taliban-putin-is-making-headway.html
 
noise said:
this has been going on for awhile. The reason isn't Putin -it's because Afghanistan continues to be a weak government, with the Taliban playing the spoiler. So much so Russia is hedging it's bets.

While Americans Fight the Taliban, Putin Is Making Headway in Afghanistan
This Russian deployment of so-called “soft power” appears to be paying dividends in ways that could hardly have been predicted when the Soviet Army left Afghanistan after nine years of war.

The Russians are ramping up political, economic and propaganda activities to improve their image and reestablish their influence amid pervasive corruption that is impeding progress in Afghanistan.

Regardless of the gains that have been made in some areas, masses of unemployed Afghans have lost hope and are emigrating in unprecedented numbers. Afghan soldiers are fighting valiantly, but terrorist attacks are on the rise and the U.S.-backed Afghan government appears incapable of establishing security across the country. The bulk of U.S. and NATO military forces have departed, aggravating Afghan fears of being abandoned again by the West.

Russia is seeking to “help shape events on the ground” by cultivating closer ties to the Afghan government.

According to the Moscow-based Center for Contemporary Afghan Studies, Russia is seeking to “help shape events on the ground” by cultivating closer ties to the Afghan government.

Russia has expanded its embassy staff and signed a security agreement with Afghanistan in 2016, reportedly shipping in 10,000 Kalashnikov rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition. In the economic sphere, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, promised to support Afghanistan's housing sector during his February meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

The Russian Embassy spent $20 million to rebuild the abandoned Soviet Friendship Center. Hoping that it will regain its previous role in promoting an affinity for Russia, the embassy reopened it as the new Russian Cultural Center, but many Afghans still use the original Soviet name. And that's just one of 150 projects Moscow has undertaken at a cost of tens of millions of dollars in its effort to restore Russia's lost economic and cultural clout in Afghanistan.

Although this level of expenditure is small in comparison to the billions of dollars being spent by other countries, Russia, unlike the U.S., has an effective propaganda apparatus to publicize its aid projects. Pro-Russian media promote the perception that Soviet infrastructure projects, such as the Salang Tunnel and the Band-e Sardeh dam, were better built than what came afterwards.

Pro-Russian stories depict a stark contrast with wasteful U.S. spending. Independently, wasteful U.S. spending has been documented in reports from the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

Intent on promoting a positive image among Muslims, Russia has publicly announced assistance to the Taliban to help it resist ISIS and promote peace negotiations.

General John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and other American officials see it differently. They accuse Russia of aiding the Taliban to destabilize Afghanistan and undermine U.S. interests.

From Russia's perspective, however, the dual strategy of backing the government and the insurgents positions it to accommodate whoever comes out ahead. Afghans add matter-of-factly that Russia, in keeping with its long history of involvement in their country, also exerts influence through covert funding to political leaders and groups outside the government.

At present, Russia is enjoying a remarkable comeback in the land that once fought so violently to expel it. According to an experienced Afghan businessman, the growing Russian engagement in Kabul business ventures and other activities produces negative comparisons with Americans.

While the latter have gained a reputation for living behind walls, afraid to venture out among Afghans because of the terrorist threat, the Russians reportedly walk the streets openly, take taxis and visit Afghan associates and friends in their homes without security escorts.
https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/07/while-americans-fight-the-taliban-putin-is-making-headway.html
Click to expand...

"Russia is hedging it's bets," perhaps, but given that there is a high probability that those weapons are going to be employed to kill American soldiers doesn't make "hedging it's bets" copacetic with Americans and shouldn't be forgotten by an American President
 
archives said:
"Russia is supporting and even supplying arms to the Taliban, the head of US forces in Afghanistan has told the BBC."

"In an exclusive interview, Gen John Nicholson said he'd seen "destabilising activity by the Russians."

"He said Russian weapons were smuggled across the Tajik border to the Taliban, but could not say in what quantity. Russia has denied such US allegations in the past, citing a lack of evidence."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43500299

So, given the above, the President makes a point of congratulating Putin on winning a shame election, and tells us repeatingly that he really believes what Putin tells him, all along going out of his way to attack porn stars, playboy models, and Joe Biden?

Just "making America great" by the hour

Putin is playing Trump, obviously, and Trump is playing his base, just as evident, so one can't imagine what Putin thinks of the American voting populace who actually elected this guy.
Click to expand...

I can't get my brain around this. Have they been? Or is this a new development?
 
And here I was going to count down the seconds until one of our oh so wonderful Russian friends posted their propaganda on this thread. Alas they even beat me to the countdown. It is like they have shifts of people just monitoring online for anti-Russian threads...oh wait.
 
archives said:
"Russia is hedging it's bets," perhaps, but given that there is a high probability that those weapons are going to be employed to kill American soldiers doesn't make "hedging it's bets" copacetic with Americans and shouldn't be forgotten by an American President
Click to expand...
Russian weapons aren't killing Americans..so called "Blue on Green" is..along with AF crashes

Green-on-Blue Attacks in Afghanistan: The Data
https://www.realcleardefense.com/ar...e_attacks_in_afghanistan_the_data_111015.html
ttacks on Coalition forces by Afghan forces — the so-called green-on-blue attacks — have emerged as a major threat in the 14-year-old war in Afghanistan. These attacks from within have increased dramatically between 2011 and 2013; in 2012 they accounted for 15% of Coalition deaths.
 
noise said:
Russian weapons aren't killing Americans..so called "Blue on Green" is..along with AF crashes

Green-on-Blue Attacks in Afghanistan: The Data
https://www.realcleardefense.com/ar...e_attacks_in_afghanistan_the_data_111015.html
ttacks on Coalition forces by Afghan forces — the so-called green-on-blue attacks — have emerged as a major threat in the 14-year-old war in Afghanistan. These attacks from within have increased dramatically between 2011 and 2013; in 2012 they accounted for 15% of Coalition deaths.
Click to expand...

Does Putin offer good medical benefits?
 
Centerleftfl said:
I can't get my brain around this. Have they been? Or is this a new development?
Click to expand...

I don't get it either.. The Socialist overthrew the Afghan monarchy in the mid 1970s... Then the Soviets arrived.. Then came Ben Laden.. The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s in northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. A predominantly Pashtun movement, the Taliban came to prominence in Afghanistan in the autumn of 1994.

Why would the Russians arm them?
 
kudzu said:
I don't get it either.. The Socialist overthrew the Afghan monarchy in the mid 1970s... Then the Soviets arrived.. Then came Ben Laden.. The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s in northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. A predominantly Pashtun movement, the Taliban came to prominence in Afghanistan in the autumn of 1994.

Why would the Russians arm them?
Click to expand...
it' part of their desire to get into Afghasnistan..probably mineral rights -but not sure
Russia's new role in Afghanistan
http://www.dw.com/en/russias-new-role-in-afghanistan/a-19087432
However, after Russia's relations with the West soured following the Ukraine conflict, Moscow decided to become active and expand its role in Afghanistan, said Omar Nessar, the director of the Moscow-based Center for Contemporary Afghan Studies (CISA). "Russia has sought closer ties with the Afghan government in a bid to help shape the events on the ground," he told DW, pointing to Moscow's military aid and economic investment in the country.
urthermore, Russia plans to support Afghanistan's housing sector, as indicated by Zamir Kabulov, a department chief at Russia's Foreign Ministry and President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Afghanistan, during his meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on February 29.

Afghanistan, in turn, has welcomed economic support not only from Russia, but also China, as Western nations continue their drawdown from the impoverished nation.
 
noise said:
it' part of their desire to get into Afghasnistan..probably mineral rights -but not sure
Russia's new role in Afghanistan
http://www.dw.com/en/russias-new-role-in-afghanistan/a-19087432
However, after Russia's relations with the West soured following the Ukraine conflict, Moscow decided to become active and expand its role in Afghanistan, said Omar Nessar, the director of the Moscow-based Center for Contemporary Afghan Studies (CISA). "Russia has sought closer ties with the Afghan government in a bid to help shape the events on the ground," he told DW, pointing to Moscow's military aid and economic investment in the country.
urthermore, Russia plans to support Afghanistan's housing sector, as indicated by Zamir Kabulov, a department chief at Russia's Foreign Ministry and President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to Afghanistan, during his meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on February 29.

Afghanistan, in turn, has welcomed economic support not only from Russia, but also China, as Western nations continue their drawdown from the impoverished nation.
Click to expand...

China has already built a railroad and power plant in Afghanistan.. and they have mining operations.. since 2012 or so.
 
kudzu said:
China has already built a railroad and power plant in Afghanistan.. and they have mining operations.. since 2012 or so.
Click to expand...
I don't know how anyone can mine there given the hostilities, but ya.China is busy worldwide with soft power
 
noise said:
I don't know how anyone can mine there given the hostilities, but ya.China is busy worldwide with soft power
Click to expand...

There are little pockets of prosperity because of the employment opportunities.. Some guy opens a restaurant.. another a bakery.. another a taxi service.
 
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