What we really mean when we say we're training foreign fighters

The Nations of Virtue have spent many years, trillions of dollars, and thousands of their own soldier’s lives bringing peace, prosperity, freedom, democracy, and stability to Afghanistan.

The result?

Afghanistan does not enjoy peace, prosperity, freedom, democracy, or stability, but the Taliban control more of the country today than they have since the first few glorious months of our invasion.

That’s why I’m ceaselessly amazed at how the public buys in when our political masters decide that while it’s time to cut and run, we need to keep a few trainers back to train the Afghan Armed Forces.

Seriously?

If, over 15 years, we can’t defeat a bunch of towel-heads in sandals wielding WWII era Soviet assault rifles, why would they want us to train them? Shouldn’t they get the Taliban to train their army?

I’ve always thought there’s got to be ulterior motives. Like maybe keeping the ruling elite in power in those places where we train the armed forces of the ruling elite. They may be thoroughly corrupt and utterly incapable of delivering peace, prosperity, freedom, democracy, and stability… but hey, at least they’re OUR bumboys.

That’s why I found parts of Adnan Khan’s story at Maclean’s rather interesting. Especially this part;

But Canada’s relationship with the Zeravani also appears to be on shaky ground. While Zeravani commanders laud the contribution Canadian soldiers made during the Mosul offensive, they criticize Canada’s failure to provide the training and materiel they were promised. “The training they gave us was nothing new,” says Ato Zebari, the deputy commander of the Zeravani forces in Khazer. “We went through it expecting they would also provide us weapons. Then they promised they would set up a commando brigade of Zeravani. They said they would equip it and train it. That never happened.”

Seems our training is “nothing new.” What they were really hoping for was weapons, weapons they didn’t get. 

This isn’t the first time the Nations of Virtue have lead the Kurds down the garden path, only to toss them to the wolves when it becomes politically expedient to do so.