Earlier this week the Washington Post had a series of articles and presentations following the release, under FOIA , of US government reports on Afghanistan.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents/

http://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2019/12/09/afghanistan-war-metrics-were-manipulated-to-highlight-battlefield-success-according-to-bombshell-wapo-report/

Read it for yourself but essentially it says that the US government (primarily the Obama regime) and military have lied over the past 18 years about the success of operations in Afghanistan and the prospect for a successful conclusion to the war.
We know that Trump wants out but can't just up and leave without something to show for it. When he even tried negotiating with the Taliban all hell broke loose.

Australia has around 400 personnel still there. Its time that we simply packed up and came home. There is nothing more to be gained by being there. Everyone knows that as soon as the west leaves, Afghanistan will revert to kind and the old warlords and Islamists will take over. It can't be stopped.

If done properly by telling the US and the world that we've simply decided that we aren't going to risk another life on a failed proposition, it might even be the spur to give Trump and his domestic allies the cover to also simply withdraw.

Staying there was always the wrong call. After 9/11 the US should have gone in, overthrown the pro-bin Laden government and left. Upon leaving and thereafter, the US should make it clear to the Afghans that if they again become a base for anti-US forces, they can expect a further short visit by the USAF.

Obama lead for eight years not 18, and the last four he did not control either house
Yes leave Bush Blair and Howard never should have got us involved
In the DNA of that part of the world to miss use aid and the west
Leave Iraq to the RUSSIANS, get out of the middle east too Russian can have it all

Belly,

This is about Afghanistan!

There is little doubt now that the US military has been gilding the lily from the moment they arrived and that governments have been encouraging and exaggerating this from the time things started to go off coarse - ie the late Bush years and the whole of the Obama period.

The issue as to why and how this all happened is not my current point.

The point is that there is clear evidence that the Afghan adventure is a lost cause. Democracy will never come to this region. The women will not be liberated. Bacha bazi will continue. The warlords will eventually rule. The drug trade will flourish.

There's no point being there. But 400 Australians are there - for no good reason other than that no government is brave enough to tell the truth.

Trump wants to get out of Afghanistan but with all his other travails its a bridge too far. Even when he wanted to have talks with the Taliban (or as St Julia called them - the Tali Band) the democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) went ape-sh!t. Not because its the wrong thing to do but because they want to play politics rather than do what's good for the country. So Trump is boxed in between the State Dept wanting to stay, the military and the arms industry also and the Democrats wanting play politics.

So ScoMo could make a big statement on an international scale by writing to Trump explaining our decision. Make a big play of how we remain the US's best of friends, but friends need to speak the truth to each other. That we have lost faith in Afghan project and won't risk Australian lives any longer. That we hope the US will also decide that the lives of their young boys isn't worth it. That we will always be beside the US but not on failed projects. That if they feel the need to chastise the Afghan government in the future, we'll be right there with them.

But for now we're outta there.

mhaze, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought all this middle East hoo-haa was about oil.
If that is the case Mr T is fighting a losing battle from within his own parliament, because we have a lot of vested interests like Rockefeller to name just one, very big one.
So by suggesting that our military leave and leave it to the Russians is a very bad idea, because that's exactly what everyone that's not on our side, wants.
The Russians have done all manner atrocities to get their hands on oil and gas, as have the western world, in particular, the USA.
You can see that, if I am even close, it is not possible at this time.
It may become possible if/when the electric vehicle industry becomes a real majority and fossil fuel dependency drops away dramatically.

mhaze not much oil in Afghanistan, but a lot of rocks
Was aware of the difference between Iraq, still hold my view
A Victoria cross Hero, is again under investigation
But will we here about the primitive way cash heals the pain of a victim's family over there
Will There be investigations into terrorist filth murdering women and children in marketplace bombing
Leave them murder each other

The whole Middle East/Afghanistan situation has nothing to do with oil.
If the west was not there, they would be down on their knees to sell
their oil to all comers.
The US only imports very small amounts of oil from the Middle East.

Enough is enough. The west has tried hard enough to sort out their
governmental systems all to no avail.
They are basically unable to administer a democratic government.
Lebanon is the most westernised of all their countries.
Look at the corrupted governments torn apart by religious differences.
Their religion demands a religious government compliant to Sharia.

We can see that won't work in this age but they cannot see that.
Their whole history demonstrates it.
The only solution I see is for the west to isolate those countries
and return their religious compatriots to their home countries before
those features start affecting our countries.
Did you see Eddy Obieds homecoming this weekend ?