How the US failed to rebuild Afghanistan

"Where the road ends in Afghanistan, the Taliban begin."
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The US war in Afghanistan has raged for 16 years, since the US invaded after 9/11, in 2001. At the onset, a centerpiece of US strategy was to rebuild Afghanistan's crumbling infrastructure. This move expedited military logistics and maneuvers, while simultaneously reigniting travel between Afghanistan's major cities. But when the US started its war in Iraq, that diverted resources and manpower from the battlefield of Afghanistan. And the Taliban didn't miss the chance. To date, the most ambitious roadbuilding project, known as the Ring Road, has seen over $3 billion spent on its renewal. And it was never completed.
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[@JackBoii]

The animations in this video are incredible.

[@daanw6270]

Jack agreed, u got any idea what they use to make those animations?

[@ryansnow2116]

Jack “is” incredible

[@ahmadza249]

i really want to know too!

[@abhiinair]

Ryan Snow * are

[@cuppajoesugar]

I'll say a mix of Illustrator to design the elements and After Effects to animate them

[@aryanihsan2623]

KZbin's algorithm has a sick sense of humour.

[@zkingsalsa]

truly

[@NoodleErik]

@@zkingsalsa no it doesn't it just reccomended it because they knew people would click on it after what happened.

[@zkingsalsa]

@@NoodleErik its just doing its job

[@rito8867]

Its not a sick sense of humor,its natural,more people were suddenly searching for and watching this video increasing this video's CTR watchtime and audience retention hence the algorithm took it upon itself to recommend this again to many new people.This is why suddenly old videos gets recommended to a lot of people.

[@NoodleErik]

@@rito8867 exactly

[@shantanuchandra7291]

“The U.S. doesn't lose wars, it loses interest.” - former U.S. Defence Secretary General Mattis

[@zeppkfw]

I mean if the Afghan government doesn't wanna help itself then I'm pretty sure everyone would lose interest over it. It's a money pit

[@idontknowwhatmypfpis1918]

then they try to act like nothing ever happened and say they won

[@wheresmyeyebrow1608]

Heh - double play on that word 'interest' there

[@zeppkfw]

@@idontknowwhatmypfpis1918 true 😂😂

[@Alex_Aramayo]

@@zeppkfw honestly

[@Boomy2710x]

“Where did the US go wrong in Afghanistan” their first mistake was going to Afghanistan in the first place

[@cashcash5995]

Every things are wrong with the US, when it pretends to be a free country but in reality is a dictator .

[@1moneyking]

@@cashcash5995 n

[@snoop05]

@@cashcash5995 i

[@seinifaith9512]

Cash Cash go live in Afghanistan for one year and than see how you feel! You are in the greatest nation in the world! We have schools,hospitals,law enforcement,churches,bridges,museums!! GTFOH

[@brando9208]

@@seinifaith9512 The US is in no way the greatest nation in the world. your education system isn't recognised in some countries because it is so terrible. You have to PAY for healthcare, which is a free/heavily subsidised right in every other 1st world nation. every country in the world has what you listed, which are basic infrastructure. Afghanistan even has schools, hospitals, churches, ect. even if they're lower quality. You can't say you're the greatest nation in the world because the country I'm from (croatia) is still recovering from civil war yet it has the same quality healthcare and far more museums and culture than the US. Greetings from Australia, a country actually considered one of the best in the world.

[@MickeyRana]

How the US failed to rebuild Afghanistan they never tried to.

[@busyguy8266]

They only made money from the golden triangle and shipped back to U.S to already rich people commanding the pentagon

[@matthias1778]

After destroying it

[@bhoot1702]

You don't want US to colonise Afghanistan do you?

[@thethirdman225]

@Mickey Rana They had no vision for peace. You can't win the war if there's no incentive for the local people to want to be involved. That's why "the world's most powerful military" was defeated by a handful of farmers with AK-47s and exploding rubbish bins.

[@watermalone5782]

@@thethirdman225 because war does not determine who is right, it determines who is left.

[@Shiv-vb1re]

First fund terrorists then fight against them 👏👏

[@hamidmj7928]

usa is terrorist

[@Shinzo642]

*fund terrorists* *lead to the dissolution of the soviet union* *liberalize eastern europe* *open up markets* *create the most rampant progress in human history* sounds good to me

[@hamid1083]

They creat enemies for themselves in order to increase their influence across the globe and invade more countries..it is a new way of imperialism.

[@oreosplease4076]

@@Shinzo642 kills over 2 million people destabilizes most of the middle east

[@thethirdman225]

Eduardo Most of that had nothing to do with America.

[@hydrohasspoken6227]

US...rebuilding....bruh, US can't even rebuild their own infrastructure.

[@mariaw9983]

😂😂😂

[@joedenathan4775]

Laughs in Kosovo

[@jhonklan3794]

Afghanistan's GDP literally grew 500 percent after the invasion.... They literally built most of Afghanistans infrastructure.

[@hydrohasspoken6227]

@@jhonklan3794 i am sure you are an american.

[@QWERTY-gp8fd]

@@hydrohasspoken6227 it is fact.

[@hjc9114]

RIP to all the people killed in pointless wars

[@wazzup233]

Poor Afghans, they couldn't live their own graveyard, I mean their country. 😭😱

[@hjc9114]

@Blob B pointless wars include Afghanistan, Vietnam, Falklands, just to name a few.

[@samuraijosh1595]

@Blob B every war is pointless. Talk things out.

[@beyond-journeys-end]

@Blob B Why not?

[@mokushmasmo6009]

@@samuraijosh1595 war is good cuz entertainment

[@bard_uhn]

Ok. The intro and editing was freaking awesome

[@grecorumeno]

Bardan Pahari Welcome to Vox.

[@zoltancsikos5604]

Bardan Pahari Is this a joke?

[@zabiullahMONTAGES]

Bardan Pahari Wow... i hope it's not all u looked at.

[@angela1984a]

@Bardan Pahari: Perhaps. But NOT ONE WORD ABOUT THE UNDERLYING IDEOLOGY OF THE TALIBAN(!)... And that is especially interesting since the Taliban's whole ideology is ultimately based on a complete fictional delusion... IF their disciples realized that, the Talibans whole organization would come crumpling down like a house of cards...

[@ryhanzfx1641]

@@zoltancsikos5604 you blind?

[@TheSuperkiller14]

"where did the US go wrong in Afghanistan?" By invading.

[@taavidude]

They didn't. The whole Afghanistan crisis is thanks to Pakistan. Pakistani government created the Taliban.

[@alexs1640]

So we should have just let the Taliban free to do what they wanted? No invasion of a terrorist nation was necessary. I agree with Trump for once, the mistake we made was trying to nation build. Should have gone in and gotten out after we took most of their territory and let the people fight for their own country

[@trey3818]

Yousuf True. We, in essence, created the Taliban so that the Afghani people could defend themselves properly from the Soviets. Although I do believe the invasion of the country was just, I do understand the importance of knowing the origins of it all. However, the later years of the Bush administration and nearly the entirety Obama administration is why the country is a lost cause now

[@blugill2273]

KOOL BRO yep and now they send men to there again

[@themadpug8753]

taavidude no, pretty much the US helped them to survive during the Soviet afghan war, supplying them and helping them to survive, you can look out for some videos that explain the hole war, but the us funded the taliban, and helped them.

[@emanuelvella536]

And after mere hours The Taliban has retaken Afghanistan. What a disaster. After 20 years what have we achieved

[@nhanle4556]

A mess?

[@ashleymora7765]

what was achieved exactly? please enlighten me

[@astral6749]

@@ashleymora7765 We have taught them how to speak English.

[@pacesucks7008]

@@ashleymora7765 Taliban has now been taught diplomacy and politics.

[@wazzup233]

Vietnam is having a field day on this one

[@devanshsadh8894]

There’s a famous Taliban quote! “You may have the watches, but We have the Time” here after Taliban are in total control in Afghanistan, guess they weren’t wrong afterall

[@RK-ep8qy]

Had to Google the meaning of the quote, to anyone like me wondering. They meant the soldiers had the watches because it was only a matter of time till the foreigners left, however the locals/Taliban would be here regardless of when they left.

[@johnvitalis2656]

and the US now has a new threat-China. No more Bin Laden in Afghanistan - no more mission for the US military! Revive Bin Laden in Afghanistan and we will see what will happen again!

[@rishabhchopra3167]

Shekhar Gupta ji ? 😂😂

[@devanshsadh8894]

Rishabh Chopra Hahahhah yess I do follow him!

[@devanshsadh8894]

RK 100% accurate

[@bassoonlim8628]

Afghanistan: The US came here and made things worse! Vietnam: oh you too? Iraq: welcome to the club...

[@thethirdman225]

Look out, Syria just pulled up.

[@OfficialDenzy]

Palestine: why do you always forgot me :(

[@ArghyadeepPal]

North Korea: I am kinda near to the situation you guys faced...

[@stefan4159]

Germany, France, Japan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait etc.: if we can be successful due to US intervention, you can too. Just because it takes a long time and is often hard is not reason to abandon the cause of global liberalism, democracy and capitalism.

[@stefan4159]

Josef Bapira A counterargument to isolationist cuckery.

[@tielmaster7879]

The British, the Soviets and now the Americans. Afghanistan. The graveyard of empires.

[@darklightreaper1]

india conquered afghanistan twice, the maruya and the mugals, the maruya fell because there was no heir to the throne and the mugals fell because of hindu and sikh riots

[@siegfriedia9986]

অন্ধকার আলো শস্যচ্ছেদক nope. the mauryans were crushed in afghanistan. they once invaded afghanistan but couldn't conquer it. in fact, the mauryans suffered huge causalties in afghanistan. afghanistan was never a part of the mauryan Empire. the mauryans only conquered territory until modern day pakistan ( the north western border never reached afghanistan.). also the mughals never ruled afghanistan. they tried to subdue it but were repelled and suffered also huge causalties. it is said that the mughals suffered 40 000 dead soldiers in a single battle on the eastern border of modern day Afghanistan in 1672.

[@AfghanHearts]

অন্ধকার আলো শস্যচ্ছেদক wtf are you talking about? the hindu invaders couldn't even conquered one square meter from afghanistan. clown, the afghans destroyed the mauryan invaders. the afghan tribes resisted, killed them and drove them out. the hindu invaders suffered such numerous casualties against afghan tribes, that the afghan mountain ranges were called as "Hindu kush" which means "Hindu slaughter" (it's still called like this up to this day). the locals gave these mountains that name, named after lying dead copses of the weak hindu invaders. so wtf are you uneducated guy talking about

[@i_fuk_religion]

Totally wrong, USA will not collapse after leaving Afghanistan

[@tielmaster7879]

Ankit Nagpal not collapse but waste billions of dollars to continue to cripple our economy at the cost of innocent lives.

[@muhammadusman376]

Who is watching today ? 15 August 2021, Taliban captured Afghanistan and just entred into presidential house

[@coltmccoy5864]

Yeah, I have been following this war closely for years. When Barack decided to pull troops out the Taliban started swinging back in. Had he kept the troops there this wouldn't have happened.

[@fatboyRAY24]

​@@coltmccoy5864 Exactly. This country's military industrial complex hit the jackpot in terms of finding a region where we can wage never ending wars. It was never about freeing people from oppressive regimes or killing all of the terrorists, it's about keeping the war machine churning out profits for those who have vested interests for as long as possible. One thing that you can always bet on in America is that if an obvious problem exists with an obvious solution then someone is definitely profiting from that problem not being solved. From McDonald's eternally broken Ice Cream machines, to the extreme costs of health care, to never ending wars far from the homeland with obscure enemies that somehow always respawn with more money, weapons, and people.

[@davidschmidt5507]

17th

[@abdulrab4795]

@@Kraci1ius freedom from whom? Afghan people got independence from external usurper (USA and NATO) by sacrificing thousands of lives.

[@anuragmukherjee6694]

@@fatboyRAY24 the lipid hypothesis, accepted by the US, states that cholesterol causes heart disease and we should limit cholesterol as much as possible,this is utter bu**sh*t,it causes more problems as cholesterol is a vital component of our bodies. The US still supports this hypothesis even when the overwhelming evidence is to the contrary,causing more health problems as a result.

[@alandadj1298]

Who's here in August of 2021, right around the time when the Taliban are set to take over Kabul? Edit : Spoiler Alert - they did

[@godemperorofmankind3.091]

no one. just you. arent you special?

[@rayfakadakis2169]

Here after the government has fallen. This is our generations Vietnam 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@limburgishmapping7166]

Who's here in August of 2021, right around the time when the Afghani president relinquished controll over to the Taliban after they took over Kabul?

[@alandadj1298]

@@rayfakadakis2169 Yep! The similarities between Vietnam and Afghanistan are frightening.

[@rayfakadakis2169]

@@alandadj1298 Don't think western countries will be as acceptant to refugees this time though.......

[@ilkeryoldas]

Afghanistan, graveyard of empires..

[@charlemagne8858]

ilker yoldas congrat

[@skyrimisntforthenords6567]

christ FAW

[@erockstoenescu6171]

Good thing America isn’t an empire lol

[@alexs1640]

VladimirDaGreat Russia and America weak Vlad? Your boss will be very upset with you saying Russia is weak

[@AmsterdamHeavy]

Well said, 400 years of them.

[@nathanremix5800]

Wow afghanistan sure has rich history as graveyard of empires

[@zizouace4890]

Moni lit that's a misleading statement if you try to deny the fact that afghans are incredibly strong and fierce warriors. the british empire suffered their biggest military defeat in their history in afghanistan.

[@luizmatthew1019]

I mean, Tibet was pretty easy for the Chinese @Moni lit

[@luizmatthew1019]

Maybe the US should annex and make Afganistan a state (or several states) @Moni lit

[@zizouace4890]

Moni lit but both, russians and americans suffered their biggest casualties in helmand province, which is flat without any mountains. also, desert areas would favour conventional armies like the usa or russian army and not the local guerilla warriors. so no need to deny or be jealous like loser animal. afghans are just stronger than the invading nations.

[@allahmotherfooker5593]

@@luizmatthew1019 Indians hate chinese govt not people but Indian people hate pakistanis due to Islam. Islam of turkey is different than Islam of pakistan.

[@SR-mz4yq]

this is suddenly so relevant

[@lazar9586]

"where did the us go wrong in afganistan?" Boy they went wrong in Afganistan, Iraq, Libya, the Balkans, Vietnam...

[@AppleGoodman]

nah, not in the Balkans

[@lazar9586]

@@AppleGoodman lol u sure about that? Read up on some facts

[@AppleGoodman]

@@lazar9586 Im literally from the balkans, the US saved my family

[@texastexasin2543]

@@lazar9586 the Russia too(invade Afghanistan, Poland, chehoslovakia, occupation Crimea, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, support the separatism in Donetsk and Lughansk and Transdnestria is big mistake!)

[@lazar9586]

@@AppleGoodman and the us killed parts of mine

[@LL-dx2xj]

Answer: because they never went there with the intention of rebuilding it.

[@D.M.S.]

Laila Lkhou I think Obama did but even a President can not correct what so many before him ruined

[@EvilNoobKitty123]

D.M.S. Fixing by arming our enemies with American weapons and vehicles?

[@jayfawn8478]

Afghanistan destiny is to be doomed

[@clementyang5260]

$3 billion poured into that basted country, no intentions?

[@HumamBahoo]

Answer: the people themselves don’t want it to be rebuilt, they brace other matters.

[@smitmehta8914]

People just dont understand that one wrong step and you could ruin the life of entire country for decades.

[@PoochieCollins]

@Smit : AFG quite likely benefited from the US's intervention. The video pointed out itself how the government was so corrupt as to waste billions of dollars in aide.

[@smitmehta8914]

Poochie Collins No one should give false hopes, it makes situation worse. Right?

[@0hhSly]

Smit Mehta oh no they do, that’s exactly why it happened.

[@peterisawesomeplease]

This is not really true though. Afghanistan was not ruined by the US. After we entered the country the GDP rose, child mortality fell, life span increased, illiteracy feel. Dont get me wrong the place is still a mess but it worse before. Compare that to Iraq where the exact opposite happened.

[@dustyalbones-reendust4385]

yes. this applies to everything we all do. it's called the butterfly effect

[@azadahussaini8842]

USSR: lets invade Afghanistan. USA: creates Mujahidin to fight back Mistake started from here.

[@reewwspponbbbbbcccv4970]

@Hamid Hussein not only that saudi arabia increased oil production beyond what the soviet union can produce which crippled the soviets and the saudi government even allowed their own citizens to go and fight in afghanistan thousands of saudis went to afghanistan to fight the soviets and the most famous ones from these fighters are osama bin laden, ibn khattab, abdulaziz al muqrin

[@Advancedmonke]

@Duffy63 The US secret service and the Palestine secret service and I think also other states in the middle east did create the former al-Qaida. This was in the war between the red army aka Soviet Union and Afghanistan and the US wanted to support so they created this group of mostly young children but later they were betrayed and know they are the enemies or they were enemies.

[@re_4280]

@Duffy63 they created it they trained them n supply weapons n then Pakistan isi created taliban

[@Infiltrator_]

The US didn’t invade Afghanistan

[@Advancedmonke]

@@Infiltrator_ uhmmmm... they kinda did

[@irigm6132]

The music choice of Vox is just immensely soothing and ecstatic.

[@krateproductions4872]

Music is by Tom Fox

[@horror7927]

Corruption is a cancer to governments

[@basilb2007]

Ric Dweld yes ... especially if it's a puppet government propped up by usa...

[@ShyanTheLegend]

Ric Dweld the tragedy is that those who genuinely aren't corrupt and stand up against American imperialism are overthrown or killed, despite being democratically elected

[@macstrong1284]

and government is a cancer to the people.

[@deeughfolte5770]

America is a cancer on this planet. Period.

[@ChickSage]

What do you hate about America? What would make things okay, or how could a friendship develop, between you and America?

[@ElDaumo]

how the US failed ___________. now theres a never ending series for you

[@trey3818]

It hurts because it's true lol

[@jakesweet1000]

better to try and fail than never try at all

[@jakesweet1000]

Bush Plays you think the country wouldnt be a warzone if america didnt go in? laughable

[@jonasmewto4661]

Do. Or do not. There is no try.

[@iaisosoakoaozoso5453]

Trey Paris yeah lol

[@GardenFootCreature]

"We are not nation-building again, we are killing terrorists" Lol okay dude

[@sandrapark8705]

... at any cost, no matter the valuable tax dollars spent, and no matter the amount of civilians killed.

[@freddarau]

@@sandrapark8705 the only civilians killed were active being use as human walls to cover talban troops

[@yurideoliveiravital6008]

@@freddarau when things explode it shoots small and big particles of everything (broken pieces of bricks, rocks, broken pieces of metal, wood) in every directions.

[@wackedpotato7211]

U support terrorists?

[@aqeel-3771]

@@wackedpotato7211 they do they left big arsenal to the taliban fighters amour cars,guns,explosives and u name it.

[@gonzolonzo1383]

This reminds me of that one iconic scene from Charlie Wilson's War where they spent a billion dollars for the war, but can't spare a million for schools and roads.

[@aronbourne9075]

Take it from me, a person who just came back from a deployment in Afghanistan. It's worse than it's ever been there. It's a complicated war, with more than 1 enemy, not just al-Qaeda, but Isis. Not even mentioning the several green on blue incidents that happen there often. I've seen the ANA for what they are. And these are soldiers who have no funding whatsoever. Dudes running out there SHARING weapons, no body armor, nothing. They just fight the enemy with what they have. For me to see this, it's disheartening. A lot of people lost their lives for that country. But I won't lie, it's a lost cause. The way we organize everything just isn't smart. it's just lost. We lost. The war is lost.

[@ArcHelios117]

I'm so sorry that you brainwashed pleb took part in this neverending war agenda for the profit of the high level elite... The was isn't lost. It's lost from your pleb point of view. From the elite point of view, the war has been perfect in every way. Hope you'll get over it.

[@jackkraken3888]

Sad to hear, but what is green on blue incidents? Is that like friendly fire. @Random guy, working in the military is not that easy, you don't have a choice if you have been assigned to fight there. You are acting like a complete idiot.

[@daleyyuu7832]

Thanks for admitting the defeat. Don't come again dude. It's *Afghanistan*

[@saltymonke3682]

Jack Kraken friendly fire from local ally or incidents from enemy infiltration into the green side.

[@freakyautumn]

@Jack Kraken Green on Blue is when Afghan (or other local military) conduct an attack on NATO/US forces for any one of several reasons (money, ideology, social engineering). @Aron Bourne I agree it is lost. I was there on the Veterans Day bombing of 2016, that has never happened on Bagram before. It was horrible.

[@Elliott_Elliott]

The question is more like where did the US go right in Afghanistan? Answer: absolutely nowhere

[@Elliott_Elliott]

The Taliban shoot American helicopters with American surface to air missiles supplied by the Americans during the Sovjet-Afghan war, so funding the terrorists is actually one of America's biggest businesses and speciality.

[@jhonklan3794]

Afghanistan's GDP literally grew 500 percent after the invasion....

[@BlueBockser]

@@jhonklan3794 5 * 0 = 0

[@j43fura71]

@@Elliott_Elliott they are not terrorists to begin with, they fought against every invader, just like they fought against the soviets they fought against the u.s, but from a perspective of an american, they are honorable when they fought soviets and terrorists when they fight us, talk about double standards

[@beyond-journeys-end]

@@j43fura71 I rarely see any of them realize acknowledge and admit there flaws.

[@deadsplinterprojects4588]

KZbin algorithm has a really dark humor

[@mummyenthusiast2603]

Not just dark humor but a singular really dark humor

[@raykarena4595]

It was a waste of lives two decades and trillions of dollars. But the American defence contractor's are happy.

[@jeffbenton6183]

No they're not. Many of their fancy toys like stealth fighters are useless in Afghanistan. (Unless by "contractor" you meant "security contractors", i.e. mercenaries - in that case I agree with you; they got their money, even if their customer lost its objectives)

[@issaosama4937]

I thought everyone knew this. Will be very surprised if someone jumped out of no where and said "hey we rebuilt Afghanistan and Iraq" lol

[@Aiden-og6ty]

Well Afghanistan is in a better place than before the invasion so at least there is positives. It would've been preferable if they didnt pull out so soon

[@TheHanspeter8]

The point is that most people don't even know that the US actually tried and just think they are bombing terrorists or getting oil. The US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were both started with the intention of establishing a stable country and they actually tried.

[@yukikinoshita6917]

Did you rebuild Japan??

[@yukikinoshita6917]

I Miral How is it like pretending to be psychopath??😂

[@0hhSly]

- Grey - Did you watch the video ? It was specified that the situation was way worse than in 2001 lmao

[@dundee6402]

Its easier to ruin, right America?

[@OxoKen]

russia did you putin's slave

[@alexs1640]

No, it's harder to rebuild dummy.

[@vladb420]

what was that?

[@jamescolosio263]

America won't be white in 30 years bahahahahaha

[@farleft7250]

Anonymous The Undead Lol America is ISIS

[@AMNG1994]

"We are not nation-building AGAIN." Like you ever did.

[@Vertex-nm3ug]

The only thing they did was to instigate wars in countries that were developing and created a huge migration problem. Syria, Iraq etc.

[@continualvariability3345]

Japan, Germany,and south Korea: are we a joke to you?

[@primeroyal7434]

@@continualvariability3345 That was the cold war, the race of two superpowers. But this is the neo-colonialism of the lone superpower, the USA.

[@continualvariability3345]

@@primeroyal7434 what? Does that change the fact that it helped them grow exponentially? Unlike the Soviet Union. Also do you even know what neocolonialism mean? If you're gonna criticize a country for neocolonialism then china is quite open you know. Also the US is not a lone superpower anymore. China can already be considered a secondary superpower since it already rivals the US economically and militarily.

[@primeroyal7434]

@@continualvariability3345 lol taking control over oil and other resources through war is peaceful and legit huh. And China is not a neo-colonialist. China's BRi is a win-win for all countries. One of the biggest reasons why my country is the fastest growing economy is because of our bond with China.

[@davisjane6722]

"rebuild"??????? FANTASTIC WORD CHOICE

[@fraudulentfem7322]

Well they failed to do it

[@jamescusack6511]

It is true - Afghanistan truly is the graveyard of empires

[@docslastname2711]

James Cusack the whole middle east is the graveyard of empires.

[@superkingarmaan9875]

Khadar Knowledge it is like you just can't control them.

[@Ptolemy336VV]

*Alexander the Great conquered Afghanistan and had a 400 year long lasting Kingdom in what is now Afghanistan, parts pakistan/India.* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Bactrian_Kingdom en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Greek_Kingdom Not only that, tens of THOUSANDS of Greeks married local women and has an incredible influence on society in Afghanistan. The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, influenced ENTIRE Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent immensely, from architecture, civilization, theater, coinage, astronomy, arts, sculpture, laws, and many other things. Who'm are you kidding. EVEN the Buddha, has immensely been influenced by Greek civilization. for over 1000 years the Greek Buddhism was the biggest main stream in Central Asia and India. Alexander the Great did not only conquer Afghanistan (and is the only one who did till this day) but made Afghanistan civilized. Greek Historians even recorded that Afghans in ancient times let their dead people be eaten by dogs. Even the Bamiyan Buddha's are Greek style "Gandahara" Buddha's en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhist_art en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhist_monasticism Even Afghan sources will tell exactly the same. www.afghanland.com/history/greek.html "Invasion of Alexander brought with it many of Greece’s artists and great thinkers and left a great influence amongst the people of Afghanistan and caused a irreversible damage to the ancient culture and traditions of Afghan people. Many Greek soldiers married afghan women and brought children, thus the Greek blood runs deep amongst people of Afghanistan. This fusion between Afghans and Greeks established a new unique culture in Afghanistan and more and more distanced itself from Greece." 2). Have you ever wondered why some afghans look Asian but others incredibly south European with all the colored eyes like the Northern and Islander Greeks? Well now you know. Since Greeks have all hair colors from black to very blond, and have a strong variety of eye colors ranging from black to, hazelnut,blue,green,brown,and so on. Origin Blue Eyes: Originated in Europe 6000-10000 years ago. 20-49% of Greeks in most parts have blue eyes genetics.thetech.org/ask-a-geneticist/origin-blue-eyes Origin Green eyes: Originated in Europe. Green is the rarest eye color. Only 1-2% of the entire world has Green Eyes. In Europe this is generally 10-20% Origin Hazel eyes are common throughout Caucasoid (Europeans/whites) populations, in particular in regions where blue, green and brown eyed peoples are intermixed. Thus since Europe has most diverse eye colors, Hazel eyes are very common. So since all Eye colors originated in Europe, and having till this day by far the highest percentage of varying Eye colors in the world, And since tens of thousands of Greeks, married local women in Afghanistan in a time 2500 years ago where populations of Afghanistan where much smaller, than today, implies how much Influence even genetically came from the Greeks. Even the Kalash in Pakistan and Nuristani's claim to live the culture of Ancient Greece and be descendants of Alexander the Great. For instance. Afghanistan by far does not have a high percentage of varying eye colors, such as Greece or Europe has, but for instance, look at India. Almost all people in India have black eyes, black hairs, meaning they had very few to no mixturing with European populations such as Greeks, who have the genes for all the Eye color differences. 3). Even the national Afghan "Attan dance" is Greek. www.thelovelyplanet.net/attan-the-national-dance-of-afghanistan/ islamoblog.blogspot.nl/2009/08/ancient-greek-origins-of-pashtuns-attan.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khattak_dance "the Attan dance was originated from the Greek Pyrrhic dance, that was executed for the Greek goddess Athena" So in conclusion. 1. *Afghanistan is conquered by Alexander the Great with a 400 year long lasting Kingdom in Afghanistan, with Greek influences everlasting after that.* 2. *Afghanistan today consists of 10+ ethnic groups of people. In other words Afghanistan has been invaded and has been utterly divided* and thus there is no one Afghanistan. So those who pride themselves with fantasies, Afghanistan is completely invaded and all these invaded populations won't go anywhere. 3. Alot can be said about the US. *The US army in it's most active time in Afghanistan only spend 2-4% of it's entire military power in Afghanistan when they had their 50.000 men there.It's a mere fraction.* Taliban was almost defeated with it, but as always eventually democracy wins and more opposition comes from within USA to leave Afghanistan. Afghanistan ITSELF is by far the weakest ruling organ that was not able to defeat a 45.000 man strong Taliban. So instead of blaming the 2-4% of USA's powers which wiped out 90% of the taliban and at one point reduced 95% of Taliban's influences, it's the Afghan government AND it's people that where so weak to not defeat Taliban. So 3 points that utterly show that Afghanistan has been conquered heavily, that it's by it's many invading peoples are one of the most divided nations on the planet, and that US's army's strength was simply a fraction, which nearly wiped out Taliban. Today, without the help of the West, Taliban would take over Afghanistan again, because Afghanistan is a weak country, not a strong one. *The real difficulty does not lie in the weak people of Afghanistan, but in the mountainous terrain where anybody could hide under every stone or crevasse.*

[@daleyyuu7832]

Ptolemy336VV That's very much exaggerated. Alexander did capture some areas in Afghanistan but faced stiff resistance in many other areas and failed to conquer them. It's the same for all invaders , they captured and retained control over some parts of the country and were unable to control the whole. As far the Greek influence is concerned, there is no such thing. There is a community in the Hindukush mountains of Pak Afghan border region that claims to have Greek origins and they're completely different from other locals. Their religion, language, culture,physique everything is unique. Their population is no more than 200'000 , They say they're ancestors were soldiers in Greek army and were left behind who later stayed here but aloof from the local people.

[@Ptolemy336VV]

Daley Yuu again. Read the countless of evidence and sources on the 400 year long lasting greek kingdom in what we call today Afghanistan and all its great influences that can still be seen today. Your words are Meaningless against aechaeology, monuments, history that still stand like the citadel in Herat, and the thousands of statues, jewelry, arts from that period. Or even the Greek buddha that has been for 1000 years the largest stream in central Asia and Indian sub continent. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Greco-BactrianKingdomMap.jpg/1200px-Greco-BactrianKingdomMap.jpg www.ancient.eu/img/c/p/360x240/260.jpg Your words therefor are empty besides that fact that they are uneducated. When Hellenism spread deep into Asia the influences are not only witnessed in Afghanistan, but also in India and what is now Pakistan. Read some more history. There are really thousands of archaeological evidences. Its word wide known that Greek civilization thrived for nearly 4 centuries. You can spin it around how you want it, but facts are still the same.

[@nepalsharma6101]

Where did us go wrong? Everywhere...

[@Cr4zyMount4inGo4t]

A high quality presentation 👍🏻

[@catears3053]

If you want proof that TV is dead/dying, look at vox, the quality here is amazing.

[@ArcHelios117]

Good quality visuals, very very poor quality content, pure propaganda, obviously omitting many, many elements that highly disprove what they claim. But yeah, editing is pretty great indeed, that's what they mainstream propaganda medias need in order to survive.

[@snaxx82]

it is not, it is still highly misleading and conveniently keeping half the story burried.

[@snaxx82]

animeme desu, if you read through some of comments here you will get your answer.

[@snaxx82]

for a start, vox implies the US of being a good samaritan here, the reality is that US needs perpetual war to keep its economy alive. then the video implies the taliban supported al kaida, which is ridiculous as everyone knows the major funders of al kaida are from the gulf region, not farsi or pashtun afghanistan. the fact osama was hiding in Afghanistan is more related to remoteness and inaccessibility of the region, rather then the talib. in fact, Osama used to spent most time in bora bora or pakistan.

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

@@ArcHelios117 Wrong

[@pin1771]

_This comment was removed by the US government_

[@asdfjkl3400]

FRL studio wrtf

[@Bas_Lightyear]

Bring the democracy of the West to Titan!

[@exilef7531]

In a few years Vox will upload: "How the US failed Titan" about how the aliens took over control over the fields and use it to fund their secret kamikaze UFO-project... Wanna bet?

[@shaylempert9994]

LOL

[@exilef7531]

+Ricky He already kinda has, by sprouting lies and setting people against eachother...

[@genishugasvila6800]

this veidos of atlas vox are just amazing, keep this work

[@JJ-te2pi]

An appropriate day to watch this

[@barbarossabartolomeu9984]

*Where did the US go wrong in Afghanistan?* When they came.

[@alfonsoperez7769]

Bob Trucker Jr. They were supposed to ban Islam

[@Bobelponge123]

Yea not like soviets were ever trying to take over.

[@FOLIPE]

Bob Trucker Jr. Actually before, when they sponsored guerilla groups against the soviets.

[@someone-wi4xl]

+Real Laundry Sauce the Soviets lost the war BADLY and their hands were cut off of Afghanistan.. so why did you invade Afghanistan again ? why the killing for 16+ years ? or is it because Taliban took down the Opium industry which harmed some of those mafia members with fancy suits

[@playnejaymes]

someone you understand that the Taliban profit from and control the opium trade right.... they sell to Russia

[@jackfrancis5238]

This video must have taken an age to make. Outstanding!

[@deveneciaerik7]

story telling on thi video is very informative and easy to understand, so thank you.😊

[@Haji84]

this shows how you should never get the work done halfway

[@jensjensen9035]

It was never gonna be done

[@Wazzup1991]

The withdrawal of US army is a sign of weakness.

[@umairmugal5118]

Right title is, why USA failed to conquer Afghanistan

[@jahangirbadar3233]

absolutely

[@smeeagain3102]

James Johnson you cant change anyone who doesn’t want to change!😉

[@needlehead9888]

They had no business there.

[@hightechhamza2006]

Afghanistan is called “the graveyard of empires” for a reason.

[@zizouace4890]

@@smeeagain3102 yes. the Afghans successfully resisted the american attempt to force change them

[@mrm1712]

Ask yourself: Why would U.S give billions of dollars + send their personnel to build a road in a country like Afghanistan? Because U.S politicians are such great generous people? Don't think so. Let's not be naive here. 100% they wanted something in return. It was an investment and usually you only invest when you want a return bigger than what you initially invested.....I'm sure by building the roads they wanted to colonize Afghanistan and get major stake in their corporations and resources. If you believe otherwise, you are delusional. So many Americans died, not just soldiers, but construction workers etc. Their blood is on the U.S government

[@jayah6227]

LOL

[@bismillahalemi5667]

Yh it’s true

[@haziqshaari7248]

Ikr .. theres no way that america willingly spend billions of dollars to "build another nation"

[@groot1474]

No talabians came because of america Afghanistan going with communism but us supported talibans

[@AsymmetricalCrimes]

China is literally doing the same thing. In 2018, China announced that they would rebuild Afghanistan's infrastructure once the Taliban are defeated.

[@anurag1087]

@Vox , your music sets the right platform for an amazing narration... On that note, please tell us about the intro theme...

[@kevin_segura9349]

So well made. Music . And clips.

[@Mudig]

Doing things half-assed is the American way.

[@thethirdman225]

Dark of the knight Go on then. Tell us how it should have been done.

[@jude_the_apostle]

Afghanistan is perfect for guerrilla warfare, conventional armies don't stand a chance.

[@chair_in_pool]

This was amazing! The editing was so cool! Really wonderful work for all of you at Vox!

[@xtreme6018]

you upload early man, if u upload 2020 it would intresting more to watch

[@a_yan6581]

No one : Literally no one : U.S.A : Surprise democracy

[@coolmdj111]

Sam, you're the second person at _Vox_ , whose videos I look forward to watch! Excellent project by you & your team 👍 . . . If you're wondering, Joss Fong takes the top spot for me...

[@Hamm3rJack]

These Vox videos are so great! They make you think and you learn at the same time.

[@lynxo5695]

Vox as always beautifully explaining a complex situation. Here after the news is all over Taliban takeover.

[@Mr.TierraCaliente]

Great video

[@Cobropta]

It just goes to show how important infrastructure can be. Perhaps we should take a more serious look at our own infrastructure.

[@Cobropta]

Clorox Bleach Crystals perhaps look at the ASCE scorecard for the nation. Not just poor areas are affected.

[@jackkraken3888]

@ Cody ,quite right, Obama was criticized for not doing enough infrastructure maintenance and repair in the US. But then again its costly and not a sexy topic.

[@jackkraken3888]

@ sandman2425 "there is nothing wrong with the USA" Well someone is drinking the MAGA koolaid.

[@jefflee1189]

i love the maga cool-aide. my taxes are down and my business is doing good. but hey if you like your 51% tax bracket you can off set it by giving me the taxes you are no longer coerced into paying.

[@jackkraken3888]

@ Hammer Smith Poor bloke you only see how it works for you now, and not how it will kick everone's ass in 2025, ever bothered to look at the tax bill? www.documentcloud.org/documents/4330069-GOPTAXBILL.html

[@joshuaperkings5155]

For those agreeing with Trump and trying to blame Pakistan, do some research before you go blowing your nationalistic one world point of view. Pakistan just like Iraq had literally nothing to do with 911 or the war on terror, we dragged them into this because Afghanistan is their neighbor and had some geographic/demographic similarities. In fact, Russia and Iran have access to Afghanistan, why did we not ask for their help? Most of the 911 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, why did we not raid Saudi Arabia for that matter? The US took advantage of its alliance with Pakistan from the Soviet War. In fact the Pakistani people are fed up that their government chose to agree with the US because it has done nothing but brought chaos to their country.

[@bigbaba647]

Joshua Perkings Raid Saudi Arabia lol Man U play a lot of video games ! Saudi Arabia wayyy difficult and hard to even think to attack it I’m sure u don’t want to see the world economy die and I’m sure u don’t want to be attack by 55 Muslim countries if the government won’t do it the ppl will and than u should deal with 1.7 billion ppl than u will thx ISIS they were cute ! But let me ask u 1 thing if 10 ppl from China went crazy 2 day and killed 100 ppl or more in US as I got what u think u will attack China? Yes or no ?!

[@donttrytokillme1231]

1)You conveniently left out that Bin Laden fled to Pakistan and did very little to help the US find Bin Laden. The Taliban also has support in Pakistan so when the US invaded the Taliban went to Pakistan and later launch an insurgency to try and kick the US out. Also the United States and UK didn't invade Iraq because they had something to do with 9/11 but that Iraq had WMDS which Saddam refused to handover. Of course we all know that the WMDs were all bullshit. 2)Iran and the US have a very hostile relation. Iran also supports several terrorist organisations like Hezbollah. So that's a no. As for Russia I don't have an answer other than the fact that NATO especially the UK were heavily involved in the invasion so they thought it wasn't needed. 3)But there is no concrete evidence that the Saudi government supported the attack. Infact Bin Laden and most of Al Qaeda were kicked out of Saudi Arabia years before 9/11. At the very worst the clerics would privately endorse the attack. 4)The chaos in their country is because they are corrupt and the Taliban is making gains within Pakistan. This is why the current Prime Minister of Pakistan(who has been hypocritical with how to deal with the situation)to negotiate with the Taliban. Yet they still want to remain allies with the United States.

[@shashanksingh788]

If you see political map of Afghanistan most strong hold of Taliban is on Pak-Afghan border. They are supporting Taliban in Afghanistan from backdoor note in Afghanistan not in Pakistan and they are doing so to counter India influence over Afghanistan Democratic government. Pakistan don't want Afghanistan to become Ally of India and same with Iran. Iran is also good friend of India and supporting India's Redevelopment program in Afghanistan. This prove everything. U.S drag Pakistan in Afghanistan that's true but Pakistani government are responsible that they allowed to do so because in return U.S provided financial and Military aid to Pakistan. Look at India when in 2017 U.S asked India to send it's troops in Afghanistan, India refused. Indian government told to U.S that we will carry out every single humanitarian work in Afghanistan possible, we will train them but we are not going to send our army to Afghanistan for U.S.

[@qadwani4327]

Joshua Perkings Exactly...

[@qamarjavedbajwalumber1324]

Agreed, as a Pakistani i hate my govt decision to favour US

[@pizzatime7433]

My KZbin recommendation couldn't have come at a perfect time

[@imagesbydavide]

And here we are. Aug 2021, 3 years after this docu, assiating at Talebans taking over full control... What a premonition

[@ksaash12]

I keep coming back to this video just to check out that intro. SO GOOD!

[@uchicha666]

Thank you for this educative and so well edited video. Great job, along with narration.

[@gameofficial4577]

Keep It Up VOX and AtlaS. thank you so much for lik these videos.. these conflicts internal view of systematic activities

[@GalactusOG]

Happy 2021 y'all!

[@mikhailsufyan1940]

Am I the only one bothered by the fact that he pronounces “Kabul” like “cobble”

[@emadgholam9370]

Thats the proper pronounciation.

[@snowlover1037]

@@emadgholam9370 No it's not

[@primeroyal7434]

@@emadgholam9370 It is Ka-bool

[@jebronlames1072]

Ka as in Car Bul as in bull

[@umarahmed2378]

@@primeroyal7434 nope. Long a (kinda like father), short u (as in bull).

[@SuperBluesify]

As an American, this is really tough to hear. All that war and death seemingly for nothing. We don’t hear about it in the news anymore really. Mostly because for us there’s just so much other stuff going on. I assumed for some reason it was just being handled. Thanks for making the video.

[@aqeel-3771]

And everybody's tax money for what? To create another country on the system which they ain't used too.

[@briantarigan7685]

So, who's here after Kabul has fallen?

[@rorschach5652]

Your mom

[@byson8628]

@@rorschach5652 bruh

[@kabyamtalukdar3066]

@@rorschach5652 "I heard a joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world. Doctor says: 'Treatment is simple. The great clown - Pagliacci - is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up.' Man bursts into tears, says 'But doctor... I am Pagliacci.' Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains."

[@AwanamaIsHere]

The UK sipping tea in the background: *"that's my brother!"*

[@DC_10]

and said "They didn't learn from my mistakes"

[@andrebrodmerkel2327]

Wow, Vox Atlas is a great piece of information. Thx guys

[@286sam]

Great narration and presentation. Keep it up bandhu

[@trinitrang2932]

20 yrs later I got this KZbin recommendation !

[@Oceansta]

Vox motion graphics are Gold ✨✨

[@hafizullahqasemi7332]

hands up, lots of info, great video .... explains everything real clear.

[@TheRishabhkumar]

Very well narrated and put together video.

[@victorio_retrogrado]

Question: "where did the US go wrong in Afghanistan?" Answer: "Yes"

[@wanali4504]

US: we will invade Afghanistan! British Empire and USSR: *Don’t. Just don’t.*

[@Mohammed_Angler]

The animation and information in this video is beyond beauty. It feels like a mission intro from a modern fps video game. Respect and acknowledgement to all those who worked hard to get this work done.

[@biro24]

5 million dollars per mile, but flint Michigan still has bad drinking water 🙄

[@N.I.Qilz_J.A]

good information.. tq... 🤟

[@taquasultani4333]

I'm from Afghanistan I'm so sad that my land is dieing 😫😨😭😧😰😦😥😢😔😟😞

[@bullseye9723]

dont worry brother have faith in Allah .. insha Allah you will succeed!

[@madhupriya1837]

@@someone4897 what's your view on India

[@nirajsingh8403]

Blame Islam

[@zeejjan]

Afghanistan made a mistake trusting US and india. two of the three devils of the world. Third is ofcourse israel

[@nithishnithish504]

@@zeejjan Pakistan is partially responsible for the destruction in Afghanistan

[@yuch1102]

United States: haven't won a war since 1945

[@hotsauce4792]

They don't really lose them either, they just kinda have them now and again.

[@ukrb3at754]

Mituna The Shitposter exactly in most of these wars there is no winner or loser

[@Albinowolf64]

We won in the Korean War, where the objective was to preserve the independence of South Korea. We won in the Gulf War, where the objective was to liberate Kuwait. We won in the intervention against Serbia in the late 90's and early 2000's, we still have troops stationed in Kosovo for protection. So yes, we have won wars since 1945.

[@tc2664]

Vietnam War, Afghanistan War, Iraq War, hmm lets see, USA one huge ass military with all the latest tech guns, tanks, jet fighters, helicopters, aircraft carriers, battleships, the lot you name it, you need to blow up some village NO PROBLEM we can do that easily! it was all there deployed, manpower and everything to get the job done but in the end you still couldn't defeat those farmers. Literally they we're a bunch of farmers, what an embarrassment!

[@TheAnonymous4545]

Uhhh have you heard of the first gulf war. Last I checked kuwait isn't occupied by iraq....

[@Arborist5851]

Afghanistan is a difficult place to live, I can't see how sending more troops over will help. The Taliban have already won that war

[@hoverbasic9674]

Banksy B we CANNOT lose to them!!!

[@sembarangjaknama]

which part of "You cannot win" you don't understand?

[@sembarangjaknama]

+Melissa Kroll US didn't defeat ISIS. Russia did. Just like WW2. you didn't defeat Nazis. USSR did.

[@Adam-gf3jg]

sembarangjaknama Both Russia and the US wasn't the one who defeated ISIS. Even a kid would known that. It was the forces of Iraq and Syria who defeated them. The real defeat to isis was when the Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul. The US was in fact a suspect of helping ISIS. So don't splurge over a victory that does't belong to you.

[@sembarangjaknama]

ahhh.... "ISIS funded by US". I can live with that. further statement they only created mess.

[@Cayden1988]

The old saying applies; *You can't help those who won't help themselves.*

[@dmproductions4809]

I mean not necessarily, I doubt the average Afghani citizen could do much after decades of war and insurgencies on both sides

[@harryk8696]

not really the right message, it's disrespectful to the people of the country. it's more complicated than the afghan govt not wanting assistance. the US was never in afghanistan to help, they've caused immense harm. and war hawks will insist we return.

[@sofisofi8141]

Did they asked USA to help them? No they didn't.

[@edwinjoy3932]

WELCOME TO 2021..!

[@Captain_Crusty]

This is great. Imagine if we could think as critically about modern events (Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria) as historians today do about wars decades ago. The cause and intricate geopolitics at play in, for example, WW1 have been extensively studied, but only once their legacy had become history rather then modern memory. If we could apply the same lens to modern wars it would be great.

[@Aiham]

Well who made Taliban ?huh?

[@ckvillareal]

guess what? the afghan government, is toppled again.

[@chilolo1418]

Then it’s time to rebuild the roads. Lol

[@westashton8820]

britian: fails to invade afganistan soviet union: fails to invade afganistan usa: hmmm let me try

[@itsmeminiso]

But fail 😂

[@sf6490]

How did US failed?

[@sciencebeing6134]

@@sf6490 They had to run away and Taliban took control, now then that is not a defeat for a superpower with a lot of resources, military tecnology, alliances etcectra than what is.

[@idiocy2.014]

All in all this was a pretty good and honest video. It did very well showcase the mistakes, as an American, I admit we have made when we launched the complicated and quite terrifying conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The video pulled together an interesting understanding of where this tragic war has turned into missed opportunity for peace and prosperity. It didnt really sway to favoring any President's handling of it as well, it was decisive and layed out the issues well.

[@tkgsg]

Vox nails it again

[@guyver214]

Yup they nail it in typical vox fashion.. Meaning they miss it entirely

[@bryanaldana3268]

Casey Sawyer lol

[@humphreyw.3665]

this kinda topic never gets old

[@huraankur]

Actually they left coz no Oil found.

[@Chris14_]

@maria d why did you have to-

[@primeroyal7434]

@@Chris14_ Do you know that Afghan opium farmers are having solar panel for farming? It is sad to see that these illegal farmers are taking action instead of our so-called "leaders".

[@tameenhaque2285]

With oil they (Americans) could've subsidized a Marshall plan of sort.

[@luvsilly60]

Good enough for me

[@SweetLilWren]

Oh the days when George W was the president, who knew how sweet those days could look in retrospect...

[@boofclouds199]

Yea weird af

[@alexs1640]

Lol so true. I even miss that goober a little. That was back before the GOP lost their mind

[@dillmon1]

Nope it was shitty times

[@PersianMapper]

George W.B was, eh... debatable at first about his presidency being exceptional. but Trump..... He just makes G.W.B look a WHOLE lot better

[@Arlae_Nova]

Yes, times really have changed. I wish I could say that that time was simpler, but Trump is just so unfit that that wouldn't be true

[@infj555]

Atlas is my favourite Vox series

[@frenchkjfan9]

One of the most instructive videos on Afghanistan, at least we fully understand why the Taliban are back in power today.

[@noobnesz]

Imagine people reading this 2 years ago... "The Taliban what now???"

[@jeffbenton6183]

@@noobnesz I watched this video when it was new. I was expecting to learn that the Taliban would take back the country eventually (we would have needed to send in 200K or 300K soldiers to have stopped it). Then again, I pay more attention to Middle Eastern and Near Eastern affairs than most of my countrymen.

[@jeffbenton6183]

@frenchkjfan9: The failure to rebuild the Ring Road is only one example of a much larger problem of the US trying to nation-build while insisting that it was doing nothing of the sort. There was also a failure to understand the basic tenants of Counter-Insurgency (COIN): The US recognized the importance of "winning hearts and minds" but failed to adopt "inkblots" - focusing reconstruction efforts in areas which already support you, and then spreading out from there. (That's why Obama failed, he authorized the Surge, but gave it a one year deadline; the generals knew that this left no time for inkblots so they went straight into the heart of Taliban-controlled territory). E

[@Spainog]

So... There is no solution for the afghan people?

[@clawwer4404]

Omar España There is always a good solution, but noone has figured it our..

[@midas8009]

VladimirDaGreat how about get rid of religion? It's easier to do that than to act like a hypocrite and expect them to adapt to yours. No religion linked to the estate, no leaning towards tendencies that could ruin the country.

[@steventalik4782]

+Omar Espana the solution is let them Afghan people run their country and fix their own problem. With time as country get richer terrorist should decrease. Then again corruption in the government can ruin everything.

[@leaveme3559]

steven talik ......dude if u let Afghani people on there own they will turn into a talibani dictatorship and export thousand of jihadizzz through out the world.....m sorry mate....we can't let them sort it out on there own

[@FunkyMonkey-ip4xy]

Omar España Probably not. The Taliban are coming back and it's probably only a matter of time before Kabul falls. If the Afghan people don't want the Taliban then they'll do something about it. Russia failed, the US and NATO has failed. Maybe let China have a go and also fail. It's a mess that no-one can fix.

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Facinating video Thank you for posting this It is always interesting learning about topics that are far away and not in the headlines. I don't know what the answer is but it seems like afganistan is reverting back to the dark ages and no amount of money or military might is going to change that. Not having a highway connecting cities is unimaginably and the afganistan government is powerless to do anything about it. The United States of America can spend billions and commit military might but in the long run nothing is going to change for the better.