Afghanistan

April 2024 Forums General discussion Afghanistan

Viewing 10 posts - 106 through 115 (of 115 total)
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  • #223784
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    The “stab in the back” analysis by Ben Wallace, the UK Foreign Secretary

    Nato’s political campaign in Afghanistan was a failure, the defence secretary has said, as he insisted the western alliance had not suffered a military defeat at the hands of the Taliban…Wallace insisted, the initial aim of the invasion, to dismantle al-Qaida in the wake of the 9/11 suicide attacks, had been a success.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/26/nato-was-a-political-failure-in-afghanistan-says-defence-secretary

    #223840
    james19
    Participant

    The media have virtually ignored starving Afghans ..whereas, eating 24-carat gold steaks is (great) news!

    The Afghan people need our support now more than ever. Currently, 1 in 3 people are hungry and 2 million children are malnourished.
    With drought, pandemic, and conflict, the food security situation will continue to worsen; and hunger will rise. 

    https://www.wfp.org/support-us/stories/families-afghanistan-need-help

    Salt Bae is coming to London and bringing his 24-carat gold steak with him
    Nusret Gokce, aka Salt Bae, is opening a restaurant in the capital next month… Should you order the £700 golden tomahawk?

    https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/lifestyle/article/salt-bae-24-carat-gold-steak

    • This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by james19.
    • This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by james19.
    #224131
    james19
    Participant

    Just seen this…The Times has a paywall..

    The veteran BBC journalist John Simpson broke down on air yesterday as he described millions of Afghans facing starvation.

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/4e2990bc-40df-11ec-90b4-dd43226240e0?shareToken=2943f8612122e1095af32615f78b5d10

    Here-
    Afghans facing ‘hell on earth’ as winter looms https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-59202880

    • This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by james19.
    #224137
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    While the Taliban are still officially designated as a terror group, charities are hindered because of financial sanctions from alleviating the suffering.

    The Taliban while exercising and exclusion and censorship of the media are doing themselves no favours in bring to world attention a plight they themselves reluctantly acknowledge.

    The nearest safe sanctuary for refugees is Iran, itself deprived of charity and NGO help.

    Pakistan another neighbouring “safe haven” cannot harbour many more refugees.

    It will be only a matter of time that the US and its allies begin a blitz of propaganda blaming the Taliban exclusively for culpability in the disaster and not the US withdrawal of propping up the civil population that had gone on, no matter how corrupt it was.

    The Left will call for some sort of reparations but fat chance of that funnelling down to those who need it most.

    #224205
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    The opium trade

    “There would be a backlash from the poppy farmers, drug lords and the public if the Taliban bans the opium production. The Taliban has benefited the most from opium production over 20 years.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/nov/11/its-our-lifeline-the-taliban-are-back-but-afghans-say-opium-is-here-to-stay

    “Farmers are faced with a looming threat of drought. Farmlands and orchards are badly affected and that will force many farmers to grow poppies because it remains the only lifeline,” Abdul Ahad, the governor of Helmand province,

    Afghanistan is the largest opium producer in the world, accounting for more than 80% of global production between 2015 and 2020, and generating millions of dollars annually.

    An estimated 6,300 tonnes of opium was harvested in Afghanistan last year, an amount that can produce up to 290 tonnes of pure heroin. The amount of land given over to poppy production rose by more than a third between 2019 and 2020, to 224,000 hectares (553,516 acres).

    #224993
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster
    #231255
    james19
    Participant

    This came up on the BBC news, yesterday. British SAS* ‘death squads’ murdered unarmed civilians in night raids, in 2011.

    *Australia military confirmed its forces also murdered unarmed civilians in ‘death raids’ at night.
    Not seen any coverage in the tabloids?
    Warning ⚠️ distressing images

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0019707

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by james19.
    #231258
    james19
    Participant

    From the BBC news website

    SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC finds https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62083196

    #231259
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    What can we expect when they were whitewashed from any crime with the summary executions of unarmed IRA members at Gibraltar.

    They were given a licence to kill.

    #231362
    james19
    Participant

    AJ, I remember.

    ‘Allied’ forces, Australia have investigated this…it was touched on very briefly in the show? Not sure the outcome.
    From the BBC news website…above

    …had been killed, including a 12 and 14 year old boy, with clusters of bullet holes left close to the floor.

    More here..

    SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC finds https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62083196

    There is a Panorama- War crimes Scandal Exposed, Iraq and Afghanistan back in 2019, by special forces. There is an allegation of a coverup at a senior level by aBritish military.

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by james19.
    • This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by james19.
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