Civic Register
| 11.12.21
What is the Over-the-Horizon Counterterrorism Strategy for Afghanistan?
Do you support or oppose the counterterrorism strategy for Afghanistan?
What’s the story?
- In the aftermath of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover, the Biden administration has been pursuing an “over-the-horizon” counterterrorism strategy relying on airpower rather than troops on the ground in an effort to prevent the rise of ISIS-Khorasan and the resurgence of al Qaeda.
- The U.S. carried out a pair of drone strikes in Afghanistan following the deadly terror attack at the Kabul airport that killed 13 American servicemembers and at least 169 Afghans. Due to the U.S. withdrawal and the collapse of the Afghan military, the aircraft used were launched from bases in the Persian Gulf and had little on-the-ground intelligence to rely upon with the Taliban unwilling to aid U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
- The first, on August 28th, was carried out in Nangarhar Province east of Kabul using an unmanned Reaper drone and killed a planner and a facilitator for ISIS-K while wounding another with no civilian casualties reported. The ISIS-K personnel weren’t directly linked to the terror attack at the Kabul airport but were suspected of planning future operations against targets in Afghanistan.
- That was followed by a second drone strike on August 29th against a suspected suicide vehicle in the city of Kabul that the Dept. of Defense believed posed an imminent threat to U.S. personnel and evacuees at the airport. However, following it was later revealed that the strike killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children.
- A DOD investigation found no violations of law but concluded that execution errors, confirmation bias, and communication breakdowns that led to the civilian casualties. The DOD has stated that it plans to offer condolence payments to the relatives of those killed by the errant strike.
- Going forward, the U.S. is negotiating with Pakistan on a formal agreement to use Pakistani airspace for American aircraft flying to Afghanistan for over-the-horizon counterterrorism missions. It’s unclear whether U.S. aircraft have conducted over-the-horizon missions since the August 29th strike.
- The distance involved with flying from the Persian Gulf around Iranian airspace to Pakistani territory and on into Afghanistan reduces the amount of time those aircraft can be used to track or target suspected terrorists in Afghanistan without aerial refueling. That has led the Biden administration to seek an alternative basing arrangement, potentially in Uzbekistan or Tajikistan to the north of Afghanistan where the U.S. has operated airbases in the past, although thus far no deals have been reached.
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class William Ri
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Over the long run we will loose. Playing pitty patty which we have been doing for a long long time while they build their arsenal of weapons while we sit and watch. We will never know the extent of help they are getting drones are no drones. They must be stopped NOW! Otherwise we will fail!
Chances are if we leave them alone they will leave us alone. Try it.
I’d support it if they don’t screw up like the other day…
As a world power The United States has the obligation to do everything in our power to contain, reduce & eliminate terrorism wher it originates & here at home!
The reason I oppose this measure is because I don’t want any more money going to the defense industry and there is no direct threat to America
Support.
Stupid. After what biden did I don’t think there will be a lot of volunteers on the ground in Afghanistan that would want to verify any information the planes might come up with. He lost their trust.
Biden can’t find his butt with both hands much less negotiate international affairs. The terrorists are walking across our borders whenever they want and making themselves at home. And they’re all voting democrat.
It’s not that I want the people of Afghanistan to suffer, but I really think we should be out of there all together. It is time to put more pressure on the other Muslim nations to police their own. Wealthy nations in Dubai, Sadi Arabia, etc. should be protecting brothers and sisters in faith and the world from both the Taliban and terrorism. Instead these nations are only about wealth, so where is Allah in that!
Stop making enemies America, Stop economically tyrannizing them, killing innocent people from miles away with drones. The United States are a bully on the world stage. ''stop hitting yourself'' type. The concerns are not genuine- this is about resources, not freedom. We left, lets stay out, or help them, but stop bombing people, it helps nothing, and only keeps the cycle of violence going...just what America's arms manufacturers want. This is a transparent pay out to them. Its called Manufacturing Consent, and you don't have mine. Cut the military's 8 trillion budget, we need roads, bridges, healthcare, and a clean environment, or we need to ask, what are we even protecting?
We have paid a high price in the effort to wipe out those that would hurt us. As a retired military member I do not want to see these groups build back.
Less of our troops on the ground. Saving precious human lives.
I believe that any involvement in Afghanistan should be off the table. It is another example of the US behaving as the keeper of an empire. The money would be better spent in keeping our borders safe from all terrorism not just a particular group.
Wasting more money on an endless war!
The Biden National Security shit-show is in full effect and disastrous results will follow.
Over the horizon strategies rely on good intelligence and we have burned those bridges of trust we need to be effective. Face it this administration, the State Department, and intelligence communities have destroyed the trust of allies and friends in the area. Unfortunately, our diplomats have a long history of betraying our friends: think the National Chinese, the Hmong and Montagnard's of SE Asia, the Shah, the South Vietnamese, and many others. This government does not deserve trust.
We have no business continuing to bomb Afghanistan! We must leave the country alone to try to pick up the pieces after many years of our destructive practices—to put it mildly.
Afghanistan will be another little country completely razed down to the ground by competing terrorist gangs.
CAUSES ASKS: Do you support or oppose the counterterrorism strategy for Afghanistan? ME: Cautiously support. Not sure what other counterterrorism alternatives there might be given the chaotic situation in the region.
How on Earth would anyone feel comfortable letting this administration formulate any kind of a strategic military plan? Biden couldn’t even evacuate all Americans from that region! What is it the administration said, “ If you can get to the airport do so quickly and you will be brought home.” But what happened to the Americans who were not fortunate enough to do so? How many are still there in that region under Taliban regime? It has all been hushed hushed and swept under the rug. America doesn’t need to know any of that! No, I do not trust Biden and his minions to carry out any successful military mission whether here in America or any foreign lands.