Wars & Rumours of Wars

[nivek]

Twenty Indian soldiers are killed and 43 Chinese troops are injured or dead after brutal hand-to-hand fighting with stones and batons broke out at border point in Kashmir



The Indian army said in a statement on Tuesday that a 'violent faceoff' took place in Galwan valley in the Ladakh region on Monday night 'with casualties on both sides.' Troops from the two countries have been facing off along the disputed frontier for more than a month. NDTV reported that no shots were fired in the battle, but that soldiers attacked each other with sticks and batons on the Indian side of the border.

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[nivek]

Medieval fight to the death at the top of the world: Soldiers were impaled with iron rods, thrown off cliffs and left to freeze to death in border brawl between nuclear-armed India and China that killed up to 70 troops



India's government was silent today on the fallout from clashes with China's People's Liberation Army that the Indian army said claimed 20 soldiers' lives on Monday night (pictured: a Chinese solider purportedly taken prisoner by Indian forces last month, left; and Chinese soldiers tying up battered Indians, also believed to be last month, as tensions soared). China reported 43 casualties without specifying how many PLA men were killed in the grisly battle fought with sticks, batons and nail-studded bamboo in the Ladakh region. Despite India initially reporting just three deaths, its army yesterday revealed the horrific scale of the violence which left 20 Indians dead, including a colonel. Indian security forces said neither side fired any shots in the clash which was the first deadly confrontation along the 2,175 mile frontier since 1975.

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[nivek]

That was a brutal battle with not even one shot was fired...

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China Adopts Conciliatory Tone With India After Violent Clash in Himalayas

China on Wednesday expressed an eagerness to de-escalate tensions with India after the two countries' first deadly clash in decades threatened to lead to further violence and undermine Beijing's ambitions for the region.

A day after China accused India of "arrogance and recklessness" for its involvement in the incident Monday in the mountainous Galwan Valley region that killed troops on both sides, and for cowing to U.S. influence, officials in China adopted a much more conciliatory tone. The Chinese foreign minister in a phone call urged his Indian counterpart to investigate the incident, punish those involved and "restrain its military forces in the region to prevent any provocative actions," Chinese state media reported Wednesday.

"China and India are in close communication on resolving the border issues through diplomatic and military channels," according to another Chinese state media post, citing its foreign ministry. A spokesman for the ministry also told reporters Wednesday morning that China does not want to see any more clashes.

China and India have expressed a commitment to resolving the standoff through diplomacy and to maintain peace in the contested border regions, Zhao Lijian said, according to state media. He added that the two countries have far more common interests than differences as the world's two largest developing countries.

(more on the link)

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[nivek]

Australia's show of force: Navy sends six warships to the Pacific ahead of training operation with the US amid growing tensions with China - as PM says Beijing should not be surprised



Australia has launched six warships into the Indo-Pacific for training operations ahead of huge show of force in the region with the US Navy. HMA Ships Canberra, Hobart, Stuart, Anzac, Ballarat and Arunta all left their base in Sydney Harbour on Monday. They will conduct 'task group training' before taking part in a warfare training exercise with the US and other allies known as the Rim of the Pacific in August. Pictured: HMA Ships Stuart leaving on Monday.

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[nivek]

Chinese state media says twin US aircraft carrier deployment to the South China Sea is 'at their pleasure' and they could destroy them at any moment in chilling threat

Chinese state media said Saturday the double US aircraft carrier deployment to the South China Sea is 'at their pleasure'.

In a tweet The Global Times also warned: 'China has a wide selection of anti-aircraft carrier weapons like DF-21D and DF-26 "aircraft carrier killer" #missiles.' Two U.S. aircraft carriers were conducting exercises in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, the U.S. navy had said, as China also carried out military drills that have been criticized by the Pentagon and neighboring states.

The state run Global Times said analysts noted and they could destroy the carriers at any moment with missiles in a chilling threat.

The paper wrote: 'The South China Sea is fully within the grasp of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), and any US aircraft carrier movement in the region is solely at the pleasure of the PLA, which has a wide selection of anti-aircraft carrier weapons like the DF-21D and DF-26 "aircraft carrier killer" missiles.'

 

[pigfarmer]

I think the days of aircraft carriers might be waning, and yet we've invested billions in them.

 

[nivek]

The rape of Afghanistan: Advancing Taliban go door-to-door and forcibly take girls as young as TWELVE to be sex slave 'wives' for their fighters as they sweep across country following NATO withdrawal

Taliban fighters are going door-to-door and forcibly marrying girls as young as 12 and forcing them into sex slavery as they seize vast swathes of the Afghanistan from government forces.

Jihadist commanders have ordered imams in areas they have captured to bring them lists of unmarried women aged from 12 to 45 for their soldiers to marry because they view them as 'qhanimat' or 'spoils of war' - to be divided up among the victors.

Fighters have then been going door-to-door to claim their 'prizes', even looking through the wardrobes of families to establish the ages of girls before forcing them into a life of sexual servitude.

The women and girls' brutal treatment is just the latest sign of Afghanistan's military collapse, which has prompted the Afghan president to sack his top commander.

One female journalist described fleeing a city in northern Afghanistan - which she did not name - and going into hiding with her uncle for fear the Islamists would hunt her down and execute her.

The 22-year-old said she fled under the noses of Taliban gunmen while disguised beneath a burqa and went with her unclear to a nearby village - but was forced to flee again after informants told the militants of her presence.

Now holed up in a remote location somewhere in the country's north, she said she fears for her life and the safety of her family - 'Will I ever go home? Will I see my parents again? Where will I go? How will I survive,' she said.

Meanwhile terrified locals who fled the city of Kunduz - captured by the Taliban last week - have told of reprisal attacks carried out by jihadist fighters who hunted down anyone linked to the government and beheaded or executed them.

The Taliban has now captured nine of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals and placed most of the country's largest cities under siege in a lighting-fast assault that has seen government forces largely capitulate.

(More on the link)

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[JahaRa]

I think the days of aircraft carriers might be waning, and yet we've invested billions in them.

I think we are going to see the type of air craft carriers that were in a few of the Dr. Who episodes, flying aircraft carriers in low orbit around the planet.

 

[pigfarmer]

I don't know how to react when I read about the Taliban's atrocities but Biden ending the Forever War is a point for him in my book. He said we've trained 300K+ soldiers, fully equipped them and PAY for them along with providing all logistical and tactical air support. His words - after 20+ years they will have to fight for themselves.

This is the Vietnamization of Afghanistan and will end the same way - except that decades later the place will still be exactly the same stone age wasteland while Vietnam became a useful trading partner. Different economics and situation I understand, but Afghanistan will not change and when we go after all the blood and treasure it'll be like pulling our hands out of a bucket of water. Bloop, like we were never there.

 

[nivek]

I don't know how to react when I read about the Taliban's atrocities but Biden ending the Forever War is a point for him in my book. He said we've trained 300K+ soldiers, fully equipped them and PAY for them along with providing all logistical and tactical air support. His words - after 20+ years they will have to fight for themselves.

This is the Vietnamization of Afghanistan and will end the same way - except that decades later the place will still be exactly the same stone age wasteland while Vietnam became a useful trading partner. Different economics and situation I understand, but Afghanistan will not change and when we go after all the blood and treasure it'll be like pulling our hands out of a bucket of water. Bloop, like we were never there.

Yeah I tend to agree, we've been at that war for far too long, originally going there to get one man and his gang of thugs, and we got bogged down into nation building, so much for that...After so many years of arming and training the Afghani military, they are letting themselves down now, but the Taliban barbarians don't have rules of engagement and there lies a big difference...

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[HAL9000]

Strikes me that the only way is a different kind of nation building.

The West goes in mob handed, tells the government 'you're fire', and starts running everything.
Mass executions of all Taliban and ISIS fighters.

'You'll do as we say, or else'.

The Mullahs generally know which side of a slice of bread you put the butter on; most will comply as long as they have a reassurance that we do not try to close down their religion.
There are plenty of Islamic countries that get along without all the violence.

Otherwise this will go on forever.

Naturally there will be a few here that find this idea 'distasteful'. Perhaps they can give their considered suggestions for fixing this mess; and it does need to be fixed.

 

[nivek]

Mass executions of all Taliban and ISIS fighters.

There are plenty of Islamic countries that get along without all the violence.

I tend to agree since most Taliban fighters have blood on their hands, killing their own people indiscriminately and because of the second sentence of your post that I quoted...There are many other Islamic countries who are not in a violent state of being, of course there are some that are, like Yemen and Syria, the latter which the US government recently got back involved with, which I don't agree with...There is no good reason why we are fighting in Syria....

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[pigfarmer]

'You'll do as we say, or else'.

Isn't that what the Soviets had in mind for Afghanistan in 1979? Kind of exactly what the Taliban is doing there right now.

Strength will certainly get you in the door and we have proven that if you kill enough of the right people the problems simmer down. Haven't heard of the Caliphate in a while, eh? On a side note, I read today that Hobby Lobby will be giving Iraq back a tablet it illegally acquired with portions of the Epic of Gilgamesh on it. One bright spot in all the thievery and wonton destruction.

Iran is a mixed bag, they have a lot of good reasons to be really pissed at the West but - not to put too fine a point on it - **** them. Ask Soleimani if his understanding of 'strength' has been redefined. I shed not one tear for him.

But Jesus, we've blown up enough stuff and killed enough people already. 'Nation building' was the Marshall Plan and it worked. What we've seen since 2001 is a lot of things but 'building' anything it wasn't - except resentment. Our own nation is going down the toilet and my concern for other places is at an all time low.

 

[HAL9000]

I've just spent 20 minutes watching Ned Price (State Department spokesman) talk the biggest load of crap I have ever heard.

So far from reality that I'm pretty sure he believes in unicorns and fairies as well.

I urge everyone to watch this, it will no doubt be on CNN a few times tonight.

Big question, Why did the US army leave behind so much usable ordnance when they pulled out. Why didn't they destroy it ?



...Isn't that what the Soviets had in mind for Afghanistan in 1979? Kind of exactly what the Taliban is doing there right now...

Not really. They are killing their own people because they consider them to not be the 'right' kind of Muslim. They are following 'The Book'. I don't think you will have to wait too long before the idea of the Caliphate rears it's head again, And the capital will be Kabul.

 

[nivek]

Our own nation is going down the toilet and my concern for other places is at an all time low.

This 100 percent...

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[HAL9000]

This 100 percent...

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With all those guns around, I can see your concern. Seems you also have a few religious zealots about too.

 

[nivek]

With all those guns around, I can see your concern. Seems you also have a few religious zealots about too.

I didn't place any concern for the ownership of guns in my country, which btw I have no issue with, gun ownership is not a problem here...I simply agreed with a lack of concern for the problems of other countries given our own country has so many pressing issues...

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[HAL9000]

I didn't place any concern for the ownership of guns in my country, which btw I have no issue with, gun ownership is not a problem here...I simply agreed with a lack of concern for the problems of other countries given our own country has so many pressing issues...

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Not trying to push the gun issue. Just noting that if things turn bad, it could get really bad.

The concern of that particular foreign country is that the USA is number one on their hate list. Closely followed by all the other predominantly Christian countries.

 

[nivek]

Not trying to push the gun issue. Just noting that if things turn bad, it could get really bad.

I've never owned a gun anyway, personally I don't feel the need to own one, never have, but I have no problem with others including my neighbors owning guns...

The concern of that particular foreign country is that the USA is number one on their hate list. Closely followed by all the other predominantly Christian countries.

One sure thing, an invading force won't get very far into the interior of the US with all the guns our civilian population owns lol...

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[nivek]

Pentagon sends 3,000 troops BACK into Afghanistan to evacuate Americans: State Dept announces Kabul embassy drawdown as Taliban captures 11 cities in advance on capital



The Pentagon is sending troops back into Afghanistan to help evacuate some personnel from the US embassy amid the Taliban's surging encroachment on the capital city of Kabul, according to the Associated Press. By Thursday, Taliban fighters had captured Afghanistan's third largest city, Herat, giving them control of 11 of 34 provincial capitals. The militant group is said to be in the process of capturing Kandahar, the nation's second largest city behind Kabul.

Earlier, it was reported American negotiators were seeking assurances from the Taliban that the militant group will not go after the US embassy if they overtake Kabul. The effort, led by Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief American envoy in negotiations with the Taliban, seeks to avoid an evacuation of the embassy's nearly 4,000 employees, including, 1,400 Americans, two US officials told the New York Times. The State Department last week warned US citizens to get out of the war-ravaged nation immediately. Khalilzad arrived in Qatar on Tuesday to warn Taliban officials that their government would not be recognized

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