10 Comments

In 2001, when the US government was trying to persuade the American people that they were only interested in helping the Afghan people, especially women, we were told that the American government wanted to guarantee that the number of women in the senate of the Afghan legislature would be at least 30%.

I looked up the number of women in the US Senate in 2001: there were two (2). Our Senate had a 2% representation of women.

If you couldn't figure out then that they were lying, I don't know what would convince you.

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Afghans controlling Afghanistan? Oh, the horror!! Next thing you know, Americans will demand to replace international bankers and 5 eyes in the control of the US. We can't have that, now, can we?

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These "occupations" are of the modern, "kinder and gentler" form - as opposed to outright colonialization. Under International Law the "occupation" must be for humanitarian reasons and with some consent from the government of the territory, even if the majority of the population disagrees. All the major players seem to abide by these rules, or loopholes if you preferer.

I don't think it's the Taliban that is the concern here. Afghanistan is a backdoor to China, and the U.S. is watching it. This is the name of the game and has been for millennia. China currently has border disputes with at least 15 nations including India, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Russia and the Philippines to name a few. The U.S. in Afghanistan is simply a regional show of force veiled by a humanitarian narrative.

Is it far fetched to say that if China became the global power it could garner enough international approval to "occupy" Mexico to help aid in the migrant crisis under current law? Reforming international law may be a good discussion, but of course the most powerful nation(s) will always control it - and at least for now we can openly debate it without retribution.

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Assalamulaikum - Anna Talib Jadid. Ismi Abdul Rashid. (I am a new student. My name is Abdul Rashid.) I first visited a Talib training camp outside Islamabad in 1993 accompanied by Paki military officer friends. I noted they only had very small Arabia Quran. I asked my friend, where are the history, math & geography books? He answered: The Saudis set the curriculum: Only Quran. Why do I think those Quran were not complete? They were too small. My friends in Kabul now are worried. The Talibs burned the University library last time they were there. I think Shura can help. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country and I have profound respect for them. They fought the Dutch colonialists more fiercely than anyone. I wonder if they might be able to help bridge the gap between the Taliban and modernists? I think the US should pay for Indonesian, Pakistani, Turkish and other Muslim nation Engineering and Construction companies to start to rebuild Afghanistan. Likewise they need an army of accountants to ensure the honesty of government finance and diplomats to persuade the biggest Mafia bosses to work with the government for a change. The devil is in the details and there are many very important details here that must be attended to or there will be "problems." They need massive housing built for refugees in forgotten camps and massive, massive agricultural development and livestock mostly. If the Afghans can work together they can regain the garden-like nation they once had. - Salam - and tolerance are all we need for that to happen. Peace to my modernist Afghan and Taliban brothers and sisters.

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Always on target Caitlin.

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I can't help viewing all these foreign policy stories -- Afghanistan, "genocide" in China, Venezuela -- in the shadow of how our government regards its own citizens. What l see is a concerted disregard for the well-being of my fellow Americans at the hand of a small class of financial elites. Believing these elites give a damn about anyone else's best interests flies in the face of both history and reality.

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Great title game 😂 It had always disturbed me that the Taliban made bacha bazi illegal and American forces relegalized it. That alone should tell you that something's not quite right.

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The only decent thing we ever did for Vietnam was to leave! After having ravaged Vietnam and its people for years, the departure of our military resulted in decades of peace and prosperity. This would also be the correct choice in Afghanistan - leave and let them live in peace.

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The pro war propaganda is so pathetic

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