Al Jazeera: Since 2001, posing as an indispensable ally in the war against terrorism, Pakistan has been benefitting from a lavish US military and development aid, while continuing to provide a safe haven for the Taliban and the Haqqani network. The two groups have been responsible for tens of thousands of Afghan casualties and more than 3,500
Pepe Escobar (via Counter Punch): The Pentagon said Mansour was on Obama’s kill list because he had become “an obstacle to peace and reconciliation.” There’s way more to it, of course. Bets can be made that Mansour’s kill will not reduce Afghanistan’s opium production – which has been steadily on the rise for years now. Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada,
Counter Punch: U.S. people should earnestly ask how the U.S. could help build trust here in Afghanistan, and, as a first step, begin transferring funds from the coffers of weapon companies to the UN accounts trying to meet humanitarian needs. The “giant” could be seen stooping, humbly, to help plant seeds, hoping for a humane harvest.
Michael Hughes: There is little reason to believe that the U.S. removed an obstacle to peace talks in Afghanistan by killing Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour because his replacement is even more radical and committed to waging a “holy war” against Kabul. The Taliban’s newly-appointed emir, Haibatullah Akhundzada, may not have the military expertise but is
Michael Hughes: Instability in Afghanistan continues to hinder private investment and complicates the implementation of financial reforms, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a report on Friday. In other words, Afghan policies have failed to adhere to the West’s neoliberal orthodoxy. As the war-torn poverty-stricken country operates in survival mode, free market ideologues want to
Axis of Logic: Afghanistan and Pakistan are both U.S. allies, but the latter is accused of destabilizing the former with U.S. help. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani gave a blistering speech on April 25 to a rare joint session of parliament, accusing Pakistan’s government of aiding and abetting Afghan Taliban officials in Peshawar and Quetta. “Today, I
Michael Hughes: U.S. servicemen responsible for an attack on a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Afghanistan are not guilty of war crimes because they did not mean to kill more than 40 patients and staff, or so says the Pentagon, an argument that does not sit well with physicians, survivors and victims’ families. Many are
Press TV May 1, 2016 An American geopolitical commentator says the United Sates is an empire and empires never admit any wrongdoing, they always blame others. Dean Henderson, an author and columnist at Veterans Today, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Saturday, after a US military investigation concluded that American forces
Michael Hughes: Convening a Loya Jirga, as some Afghan figures have called for recently, is a proper and fitting mechanism for remedying Afghanistan’s political gridlock. That the U.S. is opposed to this solution is not too surprising given indigenous governing mechanisms are antithetical to Washington’s mission to democratize the world, Jeffersonian style. However, Afghans should still
DW: US Secretary of State Kerry recently visited Kabul in an effort to keep the country’s rulers working together. The government’s internal rifts are growing, while opposition groups demanding the president’s resignation. Click here to read more (external link).