Afghanistan and Taliban

 

 Thoughts share with an Afghan friend on 9/13/2001.

Press TV interview today prompted me to share on my blog.

https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1dRKZNaDlnMKB

 

 

	Sep 13, 2021, 9:41 AM (1 day ago)

I believe that the Taliban DID make a deal.  And the US, both Trump and Biden knew they would take over very quickly - a planned before.  But they pulled a fast one over the Americans!

between 1994 and 1997 was the expectation that they would swiftly conquer the whole country, enabling Unocal to build a pipeline through Afghanistan. Pakistan, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia "  The Washington Post on May 25, 2001, reported that the U.S. government "pledged another $43 million in assistance to Afghanistan, [the Taliban government] raising total aid this year to $124 million and making the United States the largest humanitarian donor to the country.'' This was less than four months before the September 11 attacks.  

According to reports, the Taliban demanded a bigger cut from the pipeline for infrastructure.  The US declined and said we will carpet bomb you.  And they did.  

Course, a lot more to the background and other stuff on the matter, but my point being that the US concluded it should make a deal with the Taliban, stop being involved, get benefits from Afghanistan's riches, and  set them on the 'targets' - including Iran, China and Russia.  Private mercenaries were being hired as late as May.

But I believe, and will continue to believe until demonstrated otherwise, that the Taliban pulled a fast one on the Americans.  They promised cooperation but they were making deals with China.  They sent a delegation to China a few months before the pull out.  

I also believe that they are capable of change - so long as they want to.  Let us remember that with American interference and encouragement, weaponry, the Mojahedeen and their offshoot Taliban were fighting invaders.    Women are the first victim of wars - and there was rampant rape and other practices.  Many welcome Taliban to give order to society.  This included practice of a more strict practices.  I have been told the imposititon of the strict dress code was to protect women from being raped or abused.   Something very common.   Then they got worse, more fanatical, and the corruption and dealings with the Americans just exasperated it all.  The Afghan people outside Kabul were still being assaulted - in a major way, and many welcomed the Taliban for the same reason they did in earlier times.

Right now, Afghanistan is in a very bad place.  .  Covid. Drought.  Famine.  According to UN agencies, Food insecurity has spiked over the past year.  2.3 billion people lacking year around food.  They are striving to form a government to rule over a disaster with all the problems facing them, a quest for legitimacy, and winning over the people.  I believe the Taliban will implement better policies - in time.  For now, they need people to fear them so as to stop further fractioning, and they are not interested in the West's standards of 'modern society', women's rights, gays, transgenders, etc. which became common place in Afghanistan with the Americans!  And I think China can afford to help them.  Though China always does things for a price and to benefit itself.  America wants to destroy and conquer with war, China with exploitation/construction.

The world will react to the Taliban and its actions.  But we MUST remember, whether we hate the Taliban or not, that there are thousands of foreign terrorists in Afghanistan, as well as thousands of 'mercenaries' - US paid.  Anything that happens in Afghanistan will be blamed on the Taliban.  

 

No doubt, Pakistan and Wahhabis have skin in the game.  Where their standing is at the moment, I am not certain.  I think that every nation is re-evaluating its relationship with Washington.  

Time will tell.  But tragically, millions don't have time.