New trends that have appeared in regional security since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan are highly consequential for regional politics. The joint statement issued on February 6 following the four-day visit by the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to China has been an exceptional gesture by Beijing underscoring the highest importance attached to that country as a … [Read more...] about Pakistan in the Eye of the Afghanistan Storm
Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Suffering skyrockets as US replaces soldiers with sanctions.
Two weeks before the last U.S. and NATO soldiers left Afghanistan on Aug, 30, 2021, President Biden imposed a freeze on Afghan central bank reserves held in U.S. and European banks. The freeze deprived Afghanistan of $9.5 billion of its own state money, broadening sanctions already levied against the Taliban. The World Bank suspended loans for a variety of development … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: Suffering skyrockets as US replaces soldiers with sanctions.
Secret U.S. Drone Strikes Massacred Civilians In Syria, Claims Report
The U.S. military drastically undercounted civilian deaths caused by airstrikes in the Middle East since 2014, according to a New York Times investigation published Saturday. The New York Times reviewed a hidden Pentagon archive comprised of the military’s confidential assessments of over 1,300 reports of civilian casualties in airstrikes, and found, “since 2014, the … [Read more...] about Secret U.S. Drone Strikes Massacred Civilians In Syria, Claims Report
A New Memoir Reveals How Brzezinski’s Chessboard Led to U.S. Checkmate in Afghanistan
Nearly as suspenseful as the Taliban’s meteoric return to power after the final withdrawal of American armed forces from Afghanistan is the uncertainty over what will come next amid the fallout. Many have predicted that Russia and China will step in to fill the power vacuum and convince the facelift Taliban to negotiate a power-sharing agreement in exchange for political and … [Read more...] about A New Memoir Reveals How Brzezinski’s Chessboard Led to U.S. Checkmate in Afghanistan
Facing Death Threats, Christian Family Members Flee Afghanistan
Taliban in Herat, Afghanistan in 2001. (Bluuurgh, Creative Commons) NEW DELHI (Morning Star News) – Threatened with death even before the Taliban took power in mid-August, a young Christian woman who fled to India could be forced to return to Afghanistan when her visa expires in a few days, she said. Esin (name changed for security reasons), 24, fled Afghanistan just … [Read more...] about Facing Death Threats, Christian Family Members Flee Afghanistan
Why the world’s eyes are on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border
Afghanistan and Tajikistan share a 1,400-kilometer border. Recently, a war of words has erupted between Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon and the Taliban government in Kabul. Rahmon censures the Taliban for the destabilization of Central Asia by the export of militant groups, while the Taliban leadership has accused Tajikistan’s government of interference. Earlier this … [Read more...] about Why the world’s eyes are on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border
How the Pentagon Leaned on Hollywood to Sell the War in Afghanistan
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA — The (official) 20-year U.S. occupation of Afghanistan has come to a close, with the military beating a hasty and ignominious retreat. The puppet Afghan government NATO installed lasted fewer than two weeks on its own, with President Ashraf Ghani fleeing for the UAE, allegedly with around $169 million in cash. If the occupation was so unpopular and … [Read more...] about How the Pentagon Leaned on Hollywood to Sell the War in Afghanistan
ICC to ‘deprioritise’ investigation into alleged US war crimes in renewed Afghan probe, will focus on Taliban and ISIS-K
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested approval to resume a war crimes investigation into Afghanistan which won’t focus on alleged US offenses, but those committed by the Taliban and other groups. In a statement on Monday, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said he had filed an application to resume his office’s investigation into alleged atrocities … [Read more...] about ICC to ‘deprioritise’ investigation into alleged US war crimes in renewed Afghan probe, will focus on Taliban and ISIS-K
Afghanistan and Erdogan’s “Great Turan”
After the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan, Turkey intends to play a more important role in the country and cooperate with the Taliban. 2,000 Turkish soldiers have been part of the international military contingent within the ISAF mission in Afghanistan since the beginning. From June 2002 to August 2005, Turkish commanders were responsible for the mission, in which … [Read more...] about Afghanistan and Erdogan’s “Great Turan”
US Plans to Support and Finance the Afghan Mujahideen from Early 1979
It was surely no coincidence, as the Jimmy Carter administration was looking on in horror at “the loss of Iran” in early 1979, that Washington rapidly moved to increase its presence in the Middle East and surrounding regions. A principal area of focus for the Americans was Afghanistan, which shares a 570 mile border with resource rich Iran to the west. The exit of Iran from US … [Read more...] about US Plans to Support and Finance the Afghan Mujahideen from Early 1979
‘US misled me into joining Mujahideen then tortured me for being Al-Qaeda’: Gitmo survivor says US ‘acted like fascists’ post-9/11
A former Islamist fighter who went to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets and later got caught up in the US War on Terror – spending 14 years in the Guantanamo prison as a result – spoke to RT as part of the Unheard Voices project. In the early 1990s, Mohamedou Ould Slahi had a romantic notion of pursuing a noble cause, wanting to risk his life for something greater than … [Read more...] about ‘US misled me into joining Mujahideen then tortured me for being Al-Qaeda’: Gitmo survivor says US ‘acted like fascists’ post-9/11
‘They attacked us & killed our children’: Grieving Afghan fathers demand fair investigation of US drone strike in Kabul (VIDEO)
While it won’t bring back their children, a fair investigation would at least restore their honor, two Afghan fathers from a family of which 10 of members were killed in a US drone strike in Kabul have told RT. President Joe Biden urged the US military commanders in Afghanistan to “stop at nothing” to make ISIS-K (Islamic State Khorasan Province) pay for the deaths of the 13 … [Read more...] about ‘They attacked us & killed our children’: Grieving Afghan fathers demand fair investigation of US drone strike in Kabul (VIDEO)
How the US Trained the Afghan Mujahideen To Produce War Propaganda
By now, everyone knows about the White Helmets – the State Department’s propaganda operation to manufacture consent for the U.S.’s dirty war on Syria. But long before the White Helmets were the Afghan mujahideen. Quick review: The White Helmets were presented as laudable rescue teams who operated in opposition-held territory in Syria. They also embedded with jihadist … [Read more...] about How the US Trained the Afghan Mujahideen To Produce War Propaganda
China Calls for Investigation into US Massacres of Civilians in Afghanistan
On Wednesday, September 1, Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the massacres of civilians committed by the US military in Afghanistan during 20 years of occupation and war should be fully investigated. Wenbin’s statement was offered at a press conference, in response to a question about the recent killings of civilians by US troops during their … [Read more...] about China Calls for Investigation into US Massacres of Civilians in Afghanistan
US Covert Operations in Afghanistan, Support for Extremists
The retired American General Stanley McChrystal, who previously oversaw US-NATO military operations in Afghanistan, said a decade ago that Washington had a “frighteningly simplistic view” of Afghanistan. McChrystal admitted, “We didn’t know enough and we still don’t know enough. Most of us, me included, had a very superficial understanding of the situation and history”. It … [Read more...] about US Covert Operations in Afghanistan, Support for Extremists
Iraq: Afghan Lessons and Reality
It may only be a matter of time before the states of the Middle East, whose instability has been embodied by the West led by the United States, begin to feel the echoes of the Taliban’s rapid conquest of almost all of Afghanistan. The consequences of the Sunni Islamist triumph will not be lost on non-state actors and militant nationalists active in countries where the US still … [Read more...] about Iraq: Afghan Lessons and Reality
Here’s the List of Billions in Military Equipment the US Left Behind for the Taliban
It’s always frustrating to read about the many ways the federal government wastes our money, from millions spent putting lizards on treadmills to thousands spent on art classes in Kenya. But regular government waste pales in comparison to the appalling reality that the US just left billions in taxpayer-purchased military equipment behind in Afghanistan—to fall right into the … [Read more...] about Here’s the List of Billions in Military Equipment the US Left Behind for the Taliban
Chris Hedges: The Empire Does Not Forgive
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY (Scheerpost) —The Carthaginian general Hannibal, who came close to defeating the Roman Republic in the Second Punic War, committed suicide in 181 BC in exile as Roman soldiers closed in on his residence in the Bithynian village of Libyssa, now modern-day Turkey. It had been more than thirty years since he led his army across the alps and annihilated Roman … [Read more...] about Chris Hedges: The Empire Does Not Forgive
Did the US Support the Growth of ISIS-K in Afghanistan?
WASHINGTON (Substack // Alex Rubinstein) — The list of governments, former government officials, and organizations in the region that have accused the US of supporting ISIS-K is expansive and includes the Russian government, the Iranian government, Syrian government media, Hezbollah, an Iraqi state-sponsored military outfit and even former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who … [Read more...] about Did the US Support the Growth of ISIS-K in Afghanistan?
Afghanistan: Chinese Reconstruction vs. US Sanctions
Beijing now has a key opportunity to demonstrate the stark contrast between its brand of foreign policy and Washington’s through its own plan to aid in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. A Global Times piece titled, “China to offer ‘genuine’ aid in Afghanistan’s economic reconstruction amid chaotic transition,” in title alone infers that the US – despite occupying Afghanistan … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: Chinese Reconstruction vs. US Sanctions
New Ivy League Report Reveals Devastating Human, Financial Costs of Afghanistan War
The chaotic aftermath of the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan is making international headlines and capturing the world’s attention. Lost in this conversation is the true scope and cost of the 20-year war that is finally coming to an end. But a new Ivy League report sheds light on this reality—and sums up the truly devastating human and financial costs of the War in … [Read more...] about New Ivy League Report Reveals Devastating Human, Financial Costs of Afghanistan War
Western media ‘complicit in hiding truth’ of Afghan war, allowing ‘extraordinary lie’ to last two decades – WikiLeaks’ Hrafnsson
The abrupt US withdrawal from Afghanistan should not surprise anyone, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson told RT, saying the fact that Washington was able to deceive the world for two decades is more shocking. Washington’s 19-year-long war campaign in Afghanistan was one “big lie” that only benefited America’s military industrial complex and private contractors, … [Read more...] about Western media ‘complicit in hiding truth’ of Afghan war, allowing ‘extraordinary lie’ to last two decades – WikiLeaks’ Hrafnsson
“I Was Living Like Scarface”: The Ludicrous Costs of the War in Afghanistan Revealed in New Documents, Testimonies
WASHINGTON — The conflict in Afghanistan — for the U.S. at least — appears to be over. Essentially admitting defeat, American planes are beating a hasty and ignominious retreat from Kabul, with images of the withdrawal bearing a striking resemblance to those from the fall of Saigon 46 years previously. As the Taliban complete their takeover, many Americans are wondering what … [Read more...] about “I Was Living Like Scarface”: The Ludicrous Costs of the War in Afghanistan Revealed in New Documents, Testimonies
John Pilger: Afghanistan, The Great Game of Smashing Countries
As a tsunami of crocodile tears engulfs Western politicians, history is suppressed. More than a generation ago, Afghanistan won its freedom, which the United States, Britain and their “allies” destroyed. In 1978, a liberation movement led by the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew the dictatorship of Mohammad Dawd, the cousin of King Zahir Shar. It was … [Read more...] about John Pilger: Afghanistan, The Great Game of Smashing Countries
How the Endless War Became the Endless Pandemic
STORY AT-A-GLANCE In a recent article, journalist Glenn Greenwald lays out evidence showing the U.S. government has intentionally lied about its impact and progress in Afghanistan for the last 20 years Evidence suggests the Afghan war was designed to funnel taxpayer money to security contractors and Afghan warlords If the U.S. government routinely lies to protect … [Read more...] about How the Endless War Became the Endless Pandemic
10 Secret Files Exposing The True Nature Of Afghan War
WikiLeaks has been republishing a few of its more interesting leaks related to the past Afghan war logs, a vast drove of classified US documents which first hit public view over a decade ago. Below are 10 secret files exposing the true nature of the Afghan war. The Gold Of Transnational Security Elite In 2011, Julian Assange explained what’s behind America’s longest … [Read more...] about 10 Secret Files Exposing The True Nature Of Afghan War
The Road from Kabul Afghanistan to Idlib Syria and the Role of Al Qaeda
Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Vietnam are all examples of American attack, destruction and occupation. In each case, the countries were left in devastation, and only Vietnam has survived to rebuild and be restored. The Taliban have won the war, and the US has lost. Arm-chair quarterbacks are blaming everyone, including the American people for not wanting to continue … [Read more...] about The Road from Kabul Afghanistan to Idlib Syria and the Role of Al Qaeda
The Afghanistan Debacle, Zalmay Khalilzad and The Great Reset
It is worthwhile to examine the role of the Biden Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation at the State Department, Afghan-born Zalmay Khalilzad. For the one figure who has shaped strategic US foreign policy since 1984 in the Administration of Bush Sr., and has been US Ambassador to both Afghanistan and to Iraq at key times during the US wars there, as well as the … [Read more...] about The Afghanistan Debacle, Zalmay Khalilzad and The Great Reset
Afghanistan’s “Color Revolution”? Narcotics and the Opium Trade
The U.S. has not been thrown out of Afghanistan. Quite the opposite. Washington is involved in managing the strategic transition towards the formation of a Taliban Islamic Emirate. Earlier reports suggested that a so-called interim Afghan administration was to be headed by Prof. Ali Ahmad Jalali, who just so happens to be a US citizen. “Regime Change” in Afghanistan? … [Read more...] about Afghanistan’s “Color Revolution”? Narcotics and the Opium Trade
Six Questions We Need to Ask About Afghanistan
Afghanistan has “fallen”, that’s the line. The Taliban forces have taken the opportunity of US/NATO withdrawal and swept across the entire country, taking every major city within a week and with barely a shot fired. Joe Biden is being blamed for his “lack of plan”, even as Democrats try and shift the blame to Trump who first decided to pull the US out of Afghanistan over 18 … [Read more...] about Six Questions We Need to Ask About Afghanistan
How Russia-China Are Stage-managing the Taliban
The first Taliban press conference after this weekend’s Saigon moment geopolitical earthquake, conducted by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, was in itself a game-changer. The contrast could not be starker with those rambling pressers at the Taliban embassy in Islamabad after 9/11 and before the start of the American bombing – proving this is an entirely new political … [Read more...] about How Russia-China Are Stage-managing the Taliban
Why the Lie Machine is Grinding Afghanistan into Dust
Since 2010, the Pentagon has covertly mapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan worth more than three trillion US dollars. Those resources were, until short hours ago, largely inaccessible. That is no longer the case. The Taliban (banned in Russia) had, over the past decade, written letter after letter to American diplomats and congressional leaders, offering to end the war but … [Read more...] about Why the Lie Machine is Grinding Afghanistan into Dust
Six Things You Need to Know About Afghanistan and the Taliban
1. Monstrous covenant with jihadis The story starts in 1979. Afghanistan had a left-wing government, which of course was not to the liking of the US. Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter’s adviser, devised the plan to arm and train jihadists – then still called mujahideen – in Afghanistan. The aim was to provoke a Soviet invasion, in order to saddle Moscow with a Vietnam-like … [Read more...] about Six Things You Need to Know About Afghanistan and the Taliban
US Freezes $9.4 Billion Of Afghanistan Central Bank Reserves
After the humiliating exit of American troops, the US Treasury has freezed $9.4 billion of Afghanistan's Central Bank reserves. The Taliban’s declaration that it had taken control of Afghanistan on Monday put central bank watchers around the world on alert. The nation’s central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank, held $9.4 billion in international reserves as of April, according to … [Read more...] about US Freezes $9.4 Billion Of Afghanistan Central Bank Reserves
The Spoils of War: Afghanistan’s Multibillion Dollar Heroin Trade (Part 2 of 2)
This is Part 2 of a series. See Part 1, published in 2005. The US opioid crisis broadly defined bears a relationship to the export of heroin out of Afghanistan. How will this multibillion trade which until recently was protected by US forces be affected by the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Private mercenary companies are also involved in supporting the opium … [Read more...] about The Spoils of War: Afghanistan’s Multibillion Dollar Heroin Trade (Part 2 of 2)
From US withdrawal to fall of Kabul: A timeline of the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan
Joe Biden vowed an orderly withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and expressed faith in government forces. Barely two months on, the Taliban have overrun the country and ousted its president. How did things deteriorate so fast? The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, ostensibly to fight Al-Qaeda and other jihadist groups. The Western … [Read more...] about From US withdrawal to fall of Kabul: A timeline of the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Media Gives Cover to US Troops’ Slaughter of Civilians Fleeing Taliban
WASHINGTON (Substack // Alex Rubinstein) — As the United States departs from the country it occupied for 20 years it leaves on a note just as savage as some of the worst moments of the war. The United States and its fallen puppet government in Kabul have committed crimes on par with anything the Taliban has ever done. The US has bombed hospitals, dropped the biggest bomb … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: Media Gives Cover to US Troops’ Slaughter of Civilians Fleeing Taliban
Don’t Let Them Fool You: Afghanistan Has Been a “Tremendous Success”
With the Taliban now in control of Afghanistan, the liberal oligarchic press is awash with narratives of Afghanistan being both a “failure” and a “mistake”. However, the 20 years’ war has, for them, been an unprecedented success. While this assertion may sound counterintuitive, it is nevertheless true. Indeed, Afghanistan has been an exercise in counter-narratives from start … [Read more...] about Don’t Let Them Fool You: Afghanistan Has Been a “Tremendous Success”
US Flight from Afghanistan Triggers Another Humanitarian Crisis
The US flight from Afghanistan could trigger another humanitarian crisis, Swedish Svenska Dagbladet writes. In Afghanistan, there is now a “bankruptcy” not only of American but also of European security policy, claims Klaus Geiger, head of the foreign policy department for Die Welt. Twenty years later, NATO countries are withdrawing their troops while the Taliban (an … [Read more...] about US Flight from Afghanistan Triggers Another Humanitarian Crisis
Uproar after German parliament committee head suggests preparing for INTERVENTION in Afghanistan…again
Germany should make its military forces “available” for another operation in Afghanistan to stop the Taliban from conquering it, the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee head said. His fellow MPs did not share the sentiment. US President Joe Biden should stop America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Norbert Roettgen, the head of the German parliament’s Foreign Affairs … [Read more...] about Uproar after German parliament committee head suggests preparing for INTERVENTION in Afghanistan…again
Taliban captures 6th provincial capital weeks after rejecting reports of a ceasefire, amid fallout from US withdrawal
The Taliban has seized control of its sixth provincial capital in Afghanistan within a matter of days, according to a spokesperson for the group, as the militants continue to secure territory after America’s military withdrawal. The military victory for the Taliban was confirmed by the deputy governor of Samangan Province, home to the city of Aibak. Speaking to AFP, … [Read more...] about Taliban captures 6th provincial capital weeks after rejecting reports of a ceasefire, amid fallout from US withdrawal
Taliban captures second Afghan provincial capital in as many days, after withdrawal of US troops – reports
Taliban fighters reportedly entered the capital of Afghanistan’s Jawzjan province on Saturday, amid a large-scale offensive that saw the group take over the main city of the southwestern Nimroz province just a day earlier. The militants swept through nine out of 10 districts of the northern province, which borders the former Soviet republic of Turkmenistan, before forcing … [Read more...] about Taliban captures second Afghan provincial capital in as many days, after withdrawal of US troops – reports
20 Years Ago, Prior to 9/11: US Preparations for the Invasion of Afghanistan
As George W. Bush entered the White House on 20 January 2001, having been granted a controversial election victory, his cabinet swiftly drew up a particularly hawkish foreign policy program. This included identifying a number of strategically important states to gain full ascendancy over, through military attack if needs be, and among the first countries selected for invasion … [Read more...] about 20 Years Ago, Prior to 9/11: US Preparations for the Invasion of Afghanistan
The Extended Afghanistan Peace Troika: US, Russia, China, Pakistan
India’s and Iran’s refusal to participate in the Extended Troika on Afghanistan alongside Russia, Pakistan, China, and the US due to New Delhi’s reluctance to publicly talk to the Taliban and Tehran’s disagreements with Washington means that this peacemaking structure will always remain incomplete even though it’ll still likely manage to accomplish most of its goals without … [Read more...] about The Extended Afghanistan Peace Troika: US, Russia, China, Pakistan
The War in Afghanistan: The Real ‘Crime of the Century’ Behind the Opioid Crisis
In May, the HBO television network aired a new two-part documentary exploring America’s ongoing opioid epidemic entitled The Crime of the Century. The first episode summarized the role of the pharmaceutical industry in the crisis, specifically that of Sackler family drugmaker Purdue Pharma and its deadly prescription painkiller, OxyContin. Part one also thoroughly … [Read more...] about The War in Afghanistan: The Real ‘Crime of the Century’ Behind the Opioid Crisis
Afghanistan: As US “Withdraws” Airstrikes Intensify and More Civilians Die
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — At least 40 Afghan civilians have been killed, according to the United Nations, as the U.S. Air Force launched renewed overnight airstrikes to combat a Taliban offensive aimed at capturing the southern provincial capital from Afghanistan’s government forces. The U.S., which is slated for full withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11, used B-52 bombers … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: As US “Withdraws” Airstrikes Intensify and More Civilians Die
On China’s Role in Afghanistan
Fearing increasing instability and the risk of widespread civil war in Afghanistan, many countries have recently been working to fill the vacuum created by the US withdrawal from that South Asian country. Thus, regional powers Turkey and Iran actively seek to strengthen their influence. In particular, Turkey, in line with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s expansionist policy, … [Read more...] about On China’s Role in Afghanistan
Biden’s New War in Afghanistan
When the US president Joe Biden decided to withdraw the US forces from Afghanistan and delivered his ‘victory speech’, he didn’t sound like a winning commander-in-chief of the world’s supposedly most powerful military force, especially the one that failed to defeat the Taliban (banned in Russia) even after 20 years of war. America’s self-perceived and self-nurtured sense of … [Read more...] about Biden’s New War in Afghanistan
US Military “Interventions” and “Withdrawals”
It is essential for our ailing countries and our peoples who are paying high prices to conduct fact-based and realistic assessments of each and every US intervention in the Arab countries, not to mention the disasters that these interventions have brought down, all the blood they spilled and all the destruction they caused to what we have built in our countries. We should also … [Read more...] about US Military “Interventions” and “Withdrawals”
The Collective Suicide Machine
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY (Scheerpost) — The debacle in Afghanistan, which will unravel into chaos with lightning speed over the next few weeks and ensure the return of the Taliban to power, is one more signpost of the end of the American empire. The two decades of combat, the one trillion dollars we spent, the 100,000 troops deployed to subdue Afghanistan, the high-tech gadgets, … [Read more...] about The Collective Suicide Machine
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