Afghanistan and beyond
The images from Kabul airport were heartbreaking. It reminded us of the image of the United States fleeing Saigon in a hassle with helicopters taking off from the American Embassy. The U.S. had lost a war to the North Vietnamese, who had nothing. Photos of Kabul airport described the plight of thousands of Afghan citizens serving foreign embassies, businesses, journalists and visitors. Similarly, the photos of Afghan officers, supposedly well trained and equipped by American officers, but now have been trying to escape their homeland with their armored personnel carriers and other military vehicles, all loaded with private bundles, onto the Iranian border.
But the most terrifying photo was of the desperate Afghans who somehow climbed on top of an American military plane after it closed its doors and, as the plane was taking off, they fell off from hundreds of feet to the ground.
No matter what anyone says, the fall of Kabul was not a victory for the Taliban but a humiliating defeat of the American empire. The Joe Biden regime was perhaps right to continue supporting its disengagement decision. He has said over and over again that he doesn’t regret it, despite all the horrific images that have been posted and the consequences of Kabul falling into the barbaric hands of the Taliban terrorist group. Of course, the people of Afghanistan and politicians should have made the best use of the great opportunity provided by the 20-year American occupation to end the tribal turmoil and take the country one step further and create, if not a full-fledged one, some sort of makeshift state structure. They, including the U.S.-trained soldiers, could not establish some sort of even a meager nation-state.
Both Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg were stunned by the speed with which the Afghan army and the entire political structure melted away after U.S. and NATO forces decided to withdraw. What were they waiting for? If a country’s army can leave the whole country and the capital to a terrorist group that has proven to be barbaric by its previous actions, even without firing a single bullet, if the president leaves the country in pursuit of personal wellbeing, then who is to be blamed?
Unfortunately, the Biden administration should have known that it had committed a catastrophe and that the bill for its wrongdoing would eventually have to be paid by Washington, NATO and all its political allies, whether in Western Europe or the Gulf. The 9/11 had provided legitimacy of the “preemptive strike” doctrine, or the defense doctrine based on “If we don’t shoot them at their home, they will shoot us at our home” mentality.
What’s going to happen now? First of all, it was seen once again that the United States did not abandon the Kurds, the loyal Vietnamese, or the shah of Iran alone. The U.S. can betray anyone, or sell out anyone when it’s done, sees no further interest, or believes it’s more costly to stay on or decided it sufficiently capitulated the resources of that geography. NATO? We have seen once again that without the U.S., NATO is nothing. It can’t do anything unless ordered by the U.S.
In other words, NATO has become an international organization that acts only as a tool of the United States. Wasn’t that what happened yesterday? It was, but it wasn’t exposed that strongly. Before, there was already a Cold War, and it didn’t seem very unpleasant for NATO to be at the disposal of the United States.
However, now the situation is very different. When the U.S. and NATO withdrew and the Taliban began sharing photos from the Afghan Presidential Palace, Turkey no longer was obliged to protect Kabul airport for anyone’s sake. Now Turkey’s priority must be to take out and secure its citizens, soldiers and diplomats as quickly as possible. It should be noted that the bandits who invaded Mosul and took our consul hostage were the insurgents from the same terrorist mentality who are now “dominant” in Kabul.
Internationally, it was seen in 2001 that “docile terrorists,” who were raised to fight the Soviets, became a serious burden over time. The same happened in Iraq. Now they’re back on stage in Afghanistan. It’s a similar situation in many places today. Someone’s “tough young people” or “docile terrorists” are targeting some other’s best interests -- a kind of proxy war going on. In this war, nations pay big bills, and then at one point, it will be seen that the “proxy war” has to be over as it longer served their interests, or that local resources are sufficiently exploited, and imperialist masters will suddenly focus to set out for another “proxy war” somewhere else.
You have to see these games. Afghanistan will now made not only the Afghan people but peoples of all nations in this geography and elsewhere that maybe this catastrophe serve a kind of wake-up call for the international family of nations.
