What the hell are all those Americans doing in that hell-hole ? ...

[dogtag]

19,999 Americans and 49,999 foreign nationals, most likely Europeans.
For the life of me I can't imagine anyone in their right mind choosing
to go there, so they must have been sent by their governments. Prompts
the question, knowing how useless Biden is, why when he said he was
pulling Troops out by September, those people didn't immediately run
to the Airport and get the hell out of there. When your government
knowingly puts you in harms way which is what sending you to Taliban
Country is, then they should ensure your safety. But this is Biden in charge
and those people should have been savvy enough to know that Biden cares
only about Biden. Sirens should have gone off in their heads and packing
their bags begun. Then again, if they're democrats ...

[togor]

Afghanistan was a government project for 20 years.

[barretcreek]

Camp Follower$.

[Roadkingtrax]

MLA format:

Line Spacing: All text in your paper should be double-spaced. Margins: All page margins (top, bottom, left, and right) should be 1 inch. All text should be left-justified. Indentation: The first line of every paragraph should be indented 0.5 inches.

[Sandpebble]

DT .. your questions are valid . With only 6,000 troops in country who are all these 19000 American civilians ?

Someone told me they were / are interpreters... yeah right. Next would be "contractors". If you are a civilian in a war zone getting paid... you are a mercenary and your country did not send you, and tough chit if you didn't see this coming and leave when the writing was written large on the wall...

Next one is .... maybe that number of American civilians in country is bullchit .

[dryheat]

We just love to import people.

[dryheat]

Captain Kirk: Ok Scotty, we have enough immigrants, turn off the inlet valve.
Aye Captain, I'm doing the best that I can can but I dunna think it works.
Kirk: What seems to be the problem Scotty?
Scotty: I think the thing is rusted.

[Art]

DT ..If you are a civilian in a war zone getting paid... you are a mercenary and your country did not send you...

Only if you're a combatant. A hypothetical example, an old boy helping build a water processing plant in some Afghan backwater wouldn't be a mercenary.

I agree that we have no earthly idea how many Americans are stuck in Afghanistan right now or what their function is. However they are American citizens and if we could trade 5 members of the Taliban leadership for a soldier (Bo Bergdahl) who was at best a deserter and at worst a traitor we could certainly spend a little effort on these people no matter who they are.

The fact is this is a complete and total foul up regardless of the status of U.S. citizens currently there and any Afghans who cast their lots with us who we have effectively written off.

[dryheat]

The churchy folks who just have to pitch in. There was this Arizona girl who went over there to "help". She was told to stay out of some areas but I guess she thought Jesus would protect her. She got kidnapped, slapped around and raped and finally killed. I blame her upbringing. You can't save them all. Did anyone think we could? Continuing; martyrs are part of the math. If enough throw themselves into the pit it somehow evolution wise makes a change though archeology and history, maybe. People who went over there for the big bucks might have just as well gone to the Casino. You take yer chances. Odds are, they will do way better than betting at the casino. But, Everybody's a Winner is a stretch.

[oscars]

I am a retired fed scientist (10 years ago). At this time, the State Department sent out requests to recruit folks as ag attaches with the Foreign Agricultural Service to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. What is the hell was expected, I didn’t have a clue. I suppose it was to find some sort of alternative to the opium poppy. Some of the fed fire fighters also received recruit info to serve in theses same places. I have provided some info of some of the Americans who could be in Afghanistan.

[lyman]

worked with a guy that was there twice in the past couple years,

his contract was for a 9 months, which translated into 6 months in country, (the rest was stateside, training, medical, etc)

his job?
mechanic and quartermaster of sorts for some aircraft, (don't recall what model, not sure he ever mentioned)

he would make sure the tools etc were there, order whatever parts needed and if he did not work on anything, he had folks that did,


very good salary, and in a 'safe' area,

[barretcreek]

[QUOTE=oscars;619877]I am a retired fed scientist (10 years ago). At this time, the State Department sent out requests to recruit folks as ag attaches with the Foreign Agricultural Service to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. What is the hell was expected, I didn?t have a clue. I suppose it was to find some sort of alternative to the opium poppy.

Saw a link- convince them to grow soybeans. Yeah, start a pork industry.