Question: Does Russia have a roadmap for developing relations with Afghanistan after Moscow's official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate? What specific actions and agreements should we expect in the near future? How can Moscow assist Kabul in strengthening regional security?
Maria Zakharova: I must say that the parties began an interested discussion of priorities and specific practical aspects of cooperation even before the ceremony of presenting their credentials. In this context, I would like to mention, for example, the productive participation of the Afghan delegation in the 16th Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Forum International Economic Forum (Kazan, May 13-18, 2025) and the first Russian-Afghan Business Forum held on its sidelines.
I do not rule out that you were following. In the materials of these international events, in the information, in the speeches, you can see the answer to your question. A substantive study of the prospects for cooperation in the trade and economic sphere, including energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure projects, is currently underway. Cultural and humanitarian ties will be developed. In the area of security, we are talking about assisting Kabul in combating the threats of terrorism and drug-related crime.
Our experts note the progress that the Afghans have made not only in terms of general stabilization in the country, but also, in particular, in the anti-drug area. According to the UN, compared to 2021 (the year the Taliban came to power) in 2024, the area under opium poppy cultivation in the country decreased by almost 14 times (from 177 thousand hectares in 2021 to 12.8 thousand hectares in 2024).
Let me remind you that until 2021, these territories were under the control of the United States and NATO for 20 years. Hence the lack of a clear answer to the question of what NATO aircraft were taking out of Afghanistan. I would like this question not to remain rhetorical.
Now Taliban leads the country poppy fields are now decreased 14 times. Special services of America, CIA increased for 20 years during illegal occupation.
The soviets had dramatically helped in developing the higher education in Afghanistan, particularly in technology and engineering. It was also the time when Afghan women could become medical doctors. Compare that to the US’ contribution of expanded poppy fields and Al Qaeda. The symbolism is striking.
Yes Anna you know a lot, for you to imagine that brings joy to me. The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan revolution was a surprise but they did try to modernize the country, turn it into a secular state, the radical Islamists considered that a lot of westernization and the civil war began. Anyway the USSR did not simply fight in Afghanistan, they wanted to show the Afghans the advantages of socialism. Schools, hospitals, and roads were built in the country. Young people were given the opportunity to study at Soviet universities.
Everything else is very familiar, like a template. America and its allies condemned the Soviet intervention, even China. And then 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev. That was the end of us. Pity.
Yes WTFUD big pharma are scum but aren't we responsible for what we put in our mouths whether oxycontin, paracetamol or deep fried foods. Awareness is something for the individual as doctors gave up there Hippocratic oath in most cases.
Instant gratification and give me a pill I don't want a programme is part of it too not just big pharma.
Opiates are pain-killers, some of the best. It is hard to criticize someone for trying to alleviate pain when there are no available medical alternatives. Precarity is also painful, and people take opiates to relieve the pain of existence. Again, this is hard to criticize. The answer is a generous society that cares about its people, not one where rent-seeking is the greatest good, regardless of harm caused.
I live in Australia and the small problem we had/have with oxycontin was that it was prescribed for lower back damage which research showed was not compatible with nor would it solve the problem but opened the patient up to dependency issues if not managed correctly by the medical practitioner. Needless to say with the cutting of the health budgets the doctors have less and less time for follow up with their patients and continued to prescribe longer than guidelines recommended hence the crisis. I am not closely associated with the intricacies of the US health system and its obvious deficiencies together with the prevailing issues you mentioned but opiates are not for anything really except post operative short term severe pain but that is where the problems arise when they are prescribed in an outpatient situation without strong implemented guidelines.
I was casting no dispersions on individuals but who ultimately is responsible for oneself, is it the mythic rapidly vanishing hated state(deep state) or oneself. Who signs the medical consent form for surgery that is regularly completely unnecessary.
That is what I was proffering, sorry if it was contrary to your sensibilities Tedder.
Your observations are entirely correct, but there are many other opiates out there than oxycontin. In the US, medical teams prescribed opitates, then cut off the supply, leaving the user to seek alternatives such as heroin—cheaper than pills. So, in the US we see two connected problems: people addicted to opiates due to what can only be 'medical malpractice' and the unreasonable and cruel 'War On Drugs'.
Long ago the American elites realized they could control the Black population with laws against heroin and the Hispanic and hippy population with laws against marijuana and hallucinogens.
What I believe is that if there is an overall 'drug' problem in US society, the solution is not 'war', but drastic changes in the social system. Marx wrote about religion as "the opiate of the people." Now in the US, "opium is the opiate of the people."
They also tried to control alcohol consumption, alcohol being the #2 drug in America after caffine the latter is now highly tariffed and almost doubled in price over the last 6 months.
I'll add to my 1st comment, speaking from a lot of experience with opiates. It's easy to condemn those who become addicted to opiates. Through 1 way or another. I'll give you my honest take on my own story. I was an athlete who competed at national level as a youngster. Until I ruptured my crutiate in my knee. I also played the very physical game of Rugby at semi professional level. This lead to me ruptering a disc in my back. Tearing my shoulder muscle from the bone & ruptured achilies tendon. I've broken both elbows also. I've had a broken wrist, knuckle & 4 broken fingers. You might be thinking I've been unlucky injuries wise. But hand on heart those are approx 50% of the injuries I've sustained over the years. I've worked in construction for 40 years. Which is a physical job. I'm from the far North of England not far from the Scottish border on the North Sea coast. The climate isn't the warmest & the North Sea winds don't help. These injuries in the damp cold weather can sometimes be unbearable. I was prescribed an opiate pain killer after one of the 7 surgeries I've had. You might find this hard to believe but Its true. I've never been one to take time off work & after reading about it & getting good advice from a physiotherapist. Was told the best thing to do was stay as active as possible. Which I've alway done to the best of my ability. I've been offered much stronger medication for nerve damage. Which are that powerful, many of them are used for mental health symptoms & different illnesses. It was impossible to function as an active person after trying those medications. But I'm very disciplined with the opiate drug I was prescribed over 2 decades ago. I don't go over the recommended dose & take my medication at the exact same times every day. With them I've been able to have a decent quality of life. I've been able to live normally or as normal as anyone could after the injuries I've sustained. I don't drink alcohol on account of the medication. It was easy to stop drinking, as it would be impossible to live normally if I drank along with my medication. Until there's an alternative that works as well for me. I will likely be taking my medication as prescribed. But I take my medication to ease the pain. I don't take it for pleasure or any other reason. Maybe that's why it's easy for me to keep so diciplined in my dosage. There's many times I've desperately needed stronger pain relief. But it's something I've learned to live with. It's the only medication I take. I've researched as much as I possibly could on alternative medications & natural remedies. But none have the same positive effects on my injuries. Another thing I might add, you'd be amazed how active I am for my age. Eating the right organic foodstuffs plays a huge part in that in my opinion.
Davy that surely is a tale of woe, my sympathies to you and I commend your strength of mind to remain on the clinically prescribed dose and no more for such an extended period.
Despite having 2 household cars being a professional drinker I rely on mini-cabs for the most part and here in Londinium it's a 90% chance via my local cab-office that I get an Afghani driver. Tonight was no exception as I went to collect my daughter from athletics training as her regular ride was unavailable.
My conversation with the driver is often about how well the Afghanistan cricket-team is performing on the International Stage.
The first Afghani drivers say a decade ago were the ones colluding/working for the US/British who got out of Dodge and were pro the aforementioned.
I asked him how long he'd been in the UK and he said 5 years with 2 children being born here. I was surprised that he cursed the Americans vehemently stating that since they'd left only 10% of the Afghani Parliament were corrupt as opposed to 95% under US supervision and it was now safe to walk around Afghanistan without fear day and night.
He was complimentary about Russia & China.
When I stated that females should have access to Education unhindered he got on the defensive insisting I shouldn't believe anything coming from the BBC. I said the last time I listened to news on the BBC was around the time the Iraqi's, err, Saudis, err, US/Israel brought down the Twin-Towers & freefalling Building No.7 with the assistance of David Copperfield who took 2 weeks off from his Las Vegas gig to rehearse with GW Bush's son who was in charge of airport security.
This threw him!!
Appears since the Al CIAd'uh USAID were evicted there's a lot less Iranian Shia Mosques being bombed in Kabul.
Through Erdogan's influence in the region America still retains the ability to destabilise and blunt progress. He pays nice lip-service to all who'll listen, friendly relations with Iran, anti-Israel while providing xyz service to the latter, training HTS on his border.
As Oliver Hardy said in the film Sons of the Desert (1933) - Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into STANley.
"Afghani" is a unit of currency in Afghanistan, much like the 'dollar'. People get confused by 'Iraqi' et al; however, all Afghans speaks one variety of Indo-European languages or another while Iraqis speak Arabic. Vastly different language groups.
what i find interesting is the role the west has played in both afganistan and ukraine, as a means of undermining russia... russia knows this and is looking for firm ways to overcome this.. perhaps at some point a similar dynamic will unfold with ukraine, but that is premature to say at this moment.. the fact russia wants to acknowledge afganistan on this level is important..
on another level it is about who gets to say what ''country'' is terrorist and who doesn't.. is their any type of international law which could be used to describe this, as opposed to a particular nation or group of nations that want to define these terms and ostracize those with them? that seems to be a critical concern on the world stage at present... much like using international institutions to bludgeon other nations into complying with a particular game plan, the use of terms like terrorism operate in a very similar manner... for example irans revolutionary guards are defined as a terrorist group, but the cia isn't.. if truth with words was ever applied, it is much more applicable to the cia then it is the the revolutionary guards.. the world needs to get beyond the usa and friends dictating what is or isn't... we are moving in the right direction, but slowly..
thanks for the article.. i did happen to see and read the rt articles, but it is good to put them all together in a post like this..
My understanding of Taliban history was that it was formed from Afghan refugees in Pakistan who attended Saudi-funded madrasas, thus the name, as 'taliban' means 'student' in Pashto. They were armed and trained by Pakistan's ISI to put an end to the military chaos fomented by 'mujahideen' warlords. Their ideological background makes them severe Islamists, some say 'extremists', but they are hands-down better than the Afghan warlords they displaced, and well above the American instituted kleptocracy they also displaced.
You understand well. I read Ahmad Rashid’s two main books about the Taliban soon after they were published and followed events as well as I could using alt-media. IMO, modernity will mellow their strictness and education will broaden Afghan minds. We shall see, but the Stans could become a Union State sort of entity by 2100.
Afghanistan is the perfect example of a US lead intervention disaster. Death, destruction, corruption & money laundering on unimaginable scales. Leaving the country of its adventures in a mess. It made the MIC happy & even more wealthy. It funded the CIA massively. It also made a lot of CIA operatives very wealthy. It resulted in many dead Western soldiers, staggering amounts of opiate addicted Westerners mainly Americans. As well as hundreds of thousands of Opiate related deaths every year. It cost the US tax payers over 2 Trillion dollars. A disaster for millions of people. But for those who always push for 1 conflict or another, it made great profits. The perfect example of an American intervention.
I think the second article is an excellent analysis. I view geopolitics through a lens of Order vs. Chaos, Ma’at vs. Set, Marduk vs. Tiamat. Today this Great War is nation states vs. Mammon. When the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, the state was demolished and Chaos ruled. Opium production soared. US bases were established. Terrorism was nurtured and exported. When the US left in 2021, it confidently expected to leave Chaos behind. The US was shocked when the Taliban quickly reestablished the infrastructure of a nation state. LOL
Russia is one of the leading warriors in the battle against Chaos / Mammon. As you showed in your last post, Russia is cleaning out the Augean Stables of international criminal organizations which are an integral part of Mammon causing Mammon to grind its teeth. China is another leader in growing Order and reducing Chaos.
By renewing ties to the government in Afghanistan, Russia is hoping to export Order. What will this look like? Replacing Mammon’s poppy production with grain. Closing down clandestine US bases that support international terrorism. Suppressing terrorist activities. Building infrastructure to expand trade with neighbors. To coin a phrase: Make Afghanistan Great Again.
M. K. Bhadrakumar, at Indian Punchline, writes today that the US is maneuvering to normalize relations with Iran, and that the West-leaning government of Pres. Pezeshkian is somewhat receptive. In this regard, the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities was political theater designed to remove any Israeli excuse for further attacks. Moreover, prior to the Israeli attack, the US and Iran had made some progress on an agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program, including allowable.
The agreement to allow any level of enrichment is so contrary to Trump’s previous public statements, I have to wonder what Bhadrakumar’s sources are.
Trump/Zionist position is no enrichment period. I see no harm in dialog as Khamenei has said no agreement’s possible with a 100% untrustworthy Outlaw US Empire. The fact that Russia was promised its workers at Buscher wouldn’t be targeted told me the attack was all about Regime Change and will always be that.
This is good news and particularly important that yet another rail branch can traverse Afghanistan from China to the Iranian coastline at the Indian Ocean. The gradual expansion of good relations - including Pakistan - is a very important security maneuver in this region. Energy, transport and water reticulation are critical factors to enable an improved quality of life for all in Afghanistan and it is clear that both Russia and China grasp the importance of developing these elements alongside Afghanistan. Keeping the Great Game Goons of the englanders at bay is vital after almost three centuries of unrelenting sabotage.
"We see that NATO’s efforts along the Arc continue with what’s happening in Armenia and the attempts to regime change Iran—their efforts won’t stop until they’re made to stop." China is a dynamo of wealth generation and is a creator of projects on scale that dwarfs anything the Americans and their chihuahuas can summon. A parasitic model of wealth extraction simply can't compete, so now it's a matter of putting a stick into the spokes of western machinations, and I see that stick will be kinetic.
Yep, Kazakhstan is in the OSCE. IMO, there needed to be regional consensus for recognition to happen, although I don’t know if that’s a fact. Surprised Lavrov wasn’t asked about that at his BRICS Summit presser. Ukraine still obscures many things.
I wrote yesterday that Afghanistan is a member of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) consisting of 10 countries - Azerbaijan, Iran Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan Tajikistan, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
With Turkiye receiving AID from Uncle Sham to house HTS and other undesirables here's hoping that Bob-Hope is the only dope they're smoking.
The CIA & US Big Pharma will get their opium by hook or by crook, like on the two mules for sister Sarah over the rocks above the pass.
Yes the drugs don't work, they just make you worse, but I know I'll see your face again.
I don't mean OSCE, I mean geography. The border between Europe and Asia is placed along the Ural. Kazakhstan extends well beyond, West towards the Ural almost reaching the Volga. Well, not many inhabitants over there in the European part as it is steppe ... semi-desert.
Yes, I understood, while OSCE was based on geography. Personally, I’ve always found the need to make Europe a separate part of Eurasia part of European Exceptionalism, which Edward Said described so well.
This answer by Maria Zakharova during today's Briefing needs to be added to the text:
https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/2034998/#08
Question: Does Russia have a roadmap for developing relations with Afghanistan after Moscow's official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate? What specific actions and agreements should we expect in the near future? How can Moscow assist Kabul in strengthening regional security?
Maria Zakharova: I must say that the parties began an interested discussion of priorities and specific practical aspects of cooperation even before the ceremony of presenting their credentials. In this context, I would like to mention, for example, the productive participation of the Afghan delegation in the 16th Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Forum International Economic Forum (Kazan, May 13-18, 2025) and the first Russian-Afghan Business Forum held on its sidelines.
I do not rule out that you were following. In the materials of these international events, in the information, in the speeches, you can see the answer to your question. A substantive study of the prospects for cooperation in the trade and economic sphere, including energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure projects, is currently underway. Cultural and humanitarian ties will be developed. In the area of security, we are talking about assisting Kabul in combating the threats of terrorism and drug-related crime.
Our experts note the progress that the Afghans have made not only in terms of general stabilization in the country, but also, in particular, in the anti-drug area. According to the UN, compared to 2021 (the year the Taliban came to power) in 2024, the area under opium poppy cultivation in the country decreased by almost 14 times (from 177 thousand hectares in 2021 to 12.8 thousand hectares in 2024).
Let me remind you that until 2021, these territories were under the control of the United States and NATO for 20 years. Hence the lack of a clear answer to the question of what NATO aircraft were taking out of Afghanistan. I would like this question not to remain rhetorical.
https://dzen.ru/a/aG53upha_R9F_-sn?ysclid=mcwfzx2vbc773442880
Now Taliban leads the country poppy fields are now decreased 14 times. Special services of America, CIA increased for 20 years during illegal occupation.
I added more in the comments.
The soviets had dramatically helped in developing the higher education in Afghanistan, particularly in technology and engineering. It was also the time when Afghan women could become medical doctors. Compare that to the US’ contribution of expanded poppy fields and Al Qaeda. The symbolism is striking.
Yes, I have hope for the future of Afghanis. They merit a far better existence than the Americans who tried to exterminate them.
Yes Anna you know a lot, for you to imagine that brings joy to me. The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan revolution was a surprise but they did try to modernize the country, turn it into a secular state, the radical Islamists considered that a lot of westernization and the civil war began. Anyway the USSR did not simply fight in Afghanistan, they wanted to show the Afghans the advantages of socialism. Schools, hospitals, and roads were built in the country. Young people were given the opportunity to study at Soviet universities.
Everything else is very familiar, like a template. America and its allies condemned the Soviet intervention, even China. And then 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev. That was the end of us. Pity.
I hope they allow Russian news service in so maybe we can know the truth of what is really happening there.
I added more in the comments.
Wasn't the CIA the heroin masterminds in Afghanistan?
Yes on behalf of US pharma who have managed to create an opioid dependent nation of retards.
Yes WTFUD big pharma are scum but aren't we responsible for what we put in our mouths whether oxycontin, paracetamol or deep fried foods. Awareness is something for the individual as doctors gave up there Hippocratic oath in most cases.
Instant gratification and give me a pill I don't want a programme is part of it too not just big pharma.
Opiates are pain-killers, some of the best. It is hard to criticize someone for trying to alleviate pain when there are no available medical alternatives. Precarity is also painful, and people take opiates to relieve the pain of existence. Again, this is hard to criticize. The answer is a generous society that cares about its people, not one where rent-seeking is the greatest good, regardless of harm caused.
I live in Australia and the small problem we had/have with oxycontin was that it was prescribed for lower back damage which research showed was not compatible with nor would it solve the problem but opened the patient up to dependency issues if not managed correctly by the medical practitioner. Needless to say with the cutting of the health budgets the doctors have less and less time for follow up with their patients and continued to prescribe longer than guidelines recommended hence the crisis. I am not closely associated with the intricacies of the US health system and its obvious deficiencies together with the prevailing issues you mentioned but opiates are not for anything really except post operative short term severe pain but that is where the problems arise when they are prescribed in an outpatient situation without strong implemented guidelines.
I was casting no dispersions on individuals but who ultimately is responsible for oneself, is it the mythic rapidly vanishing hated state(deep state) or oneself. Who signs the medical consent form for surgery that is regularly completely unnecessary.
That is what I was proffering, sorry if it was contrary to your sensibilities Tedder.
Your observations are entirely correct, but there are many other opiates out there than oxycontin. In the US, medical teams prescribed opitates, then cut off the supply, leaving the user to seek alternatives such as heroin—cheaper than pills. So, in the US we see two connected problems: people addicted to opiates due to what can only be 'medical malpractice' and the unreasonable and cruel 'War On Drugs'.
Long ago the American elites realized they could control the Black population with laws against heroin and the Hispanic and hippy population with laws against marijuana and hallucinogens.
What I believe is that if there is an overall 'drug' problem in US society, the solution is not 'war', but drastic changes in the social system. Marx wrote about religion as "the opiate of the people." Now in the US, "opium is the opiate of the people."
They also tried to control alcohol consumption, alcohol being the #2 drug in America after caffine the latter is now highly tariffed and almost doubled in price over the last 6 months.
Can't argue with your logic/fact rakyat.
I'll add to my 1st comment, speaking from a lot of experience with opiates. It's easy to condemn those who become addicted to opiates. Through 1 way or another. I'll give you my honest take on my own story. I was an athlete who competed at national level as a youngster. Until I ruptured my crutiate in my knee. I also played the very physical game of Rugby at semi professional level. This lead to me ruptering a disc in my back. Tearing my shoulder muscle from the bone & ruptured achilies tendon. I've broken both elbows also. I've had a broken wrist, knuckle & 4 broken fingers. You might be thinking I've been unlucky injuries wise. But hand on heart those are approx 50% of the injuries I've sustained over the years. I've worked in construction for 40 years. Which is a physical job. I'm from the far North of England not far from the Scottish border on the North Sea coast. The climate isn't the warmest & the North Sea winds don't help. These injuries in the damp cold weather can sometimes be unbearable. I was prescribed an opiate pain killer after one of the 7 surgeries I've had. You might find this hard to believe but Its true. I've never been one to take time off work & after reading about it & getting good advice from a physiotherapist. Was told the best thing to do was stay as active as possible. Which I've alway done to the best of my ability. I've been offered much stronger medication for nerve damage. Which are that powerful, many of them are used for mental health symptoms & different illnesses. It was impossible to function as an active person after trying those medications. But I'm very disciplined with the opiate drug I was prescribed over 2 decades ago. I don't go over the recommended dose & take my medication at the exact same times every day. With them I've been able to have a decent quality of life. I've been able to live normally or as normal as anyone could after the injuries I've sustained. I don't drink alcohol on account of the medication. It was easy to stop drinking, as it would be impossible to live normally if I drank along with my medication. Until there's an alternative that works as well for me. I will likely be taking my medication as prescribed. But I take my medication to ease the pain. I don't take it for pleasure or any other reason. Maybe that's why it's easy for me to keep so diciplined in my dosage. There's many times I've desperately needed stronger pain relief. But it's something I've learned to live with. It's the only medication I take. I've researched as much as I possibly could on alternative medications & natural remedies. But none have the same positive effects on my injuries. Another thing I might add, you'd be amazed how active I am for my age. Eating the right organic foodstuffs plays a huge part in that in my opinion.
Davy that surely is a tale of woe, my sympathies to you and I commend your strength of mind to remain on the clinically prescribed dose and no more for such an extended period.
You are a better man than I am Gunga Dinn!!
Despite having 2 household cars being a professional drinker I rely on mini-cabs for the most part and here in Londinium it's a 90% chance via my local cab-office that I get an Afghani driver. Tonight was no exception as I went to collect my daughter from athletics training as her regular ride was unavailable.
My conversation with the driver is often about how well the Afghanistan cricket-team is performing on the International Stage.
The first Afghani drivers say a decade ago were the ones colluding/working for the US/British who got out of Dodge and were pro the aforementioned.
I asked him how long he'd been in the UK and he said 5 years with 2 children being born here. I was surprised that he cursed the Americans vehemently stating that since they'd left only 10% of the Afghani Parliament were corrupt as opposed to 95% under US supervision and it was now safe to walk around Afghanistan without fear day and night.
He was complimentary about Russia & China.
When I stated that females should have access to Education unhindered he got on the defensive insisting I shouldn't believe anything coming from the BBC. I said the last time I listened to news on the BBC was around the time the Iraqi's, err, Saudis, err, US/Israel brought down the Twin-Towers & freefalling Building No.7 with the assistance of David Copperfield who took 2 weeks off from his Las Vegas gig to rehearse with GW Bush's son who was in charge of airport security.
This threw him!!
Appears since the Al CIAd'uh USAID were evicted there's a lot less Iranian Shia Mosques being bombed in Kabul.
Through Erdogan's influence in the region America still retains the ability to destabilise and blunt progress. He pays nice lip-service to all who'll listen, friendly relations with Iran, anti-Israel while providing xyz service to the latter, training HTS on his border.
As Oliver Hardy said in the film Sons of the Desert (1933) - Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into STANley.
"Afghani" is a unit of currency in Afghanistan, much like the 'dollar'. People get confused by 'Iraqi' et al; however, all Afghans speaks one variety of Indo-European languages or another while Iraqis speak Arabic. Vastly different language groups.
Your “household cars” are “professional drinkers”?
what i find interesting is the role the west has played in both afganistan and ukraine, as a means of undermining russia... russia knows this and is looking for firm ways to overcome this.. perhaps at some point a similar dynamic will unfold with ukraine, but that is premature to say at this moment.. the fact russia wants to acknowledge afganistan on this level is important..
on another level it is about who gets to say what ''country'' is terrorist and who doesn't.. is their any type of international law which could be used to describe this, as opposed to a particular nation or group of nations that want to define these terms and ostracize those with them? that seems to be a critical concern on the world stage at present... much like using international institutions to bludgeon other nations into complying with a particular game plan, the use of terms like terrorism operate in a very similar manner... for example irans revolutionary guards are defined as a terrorist group, but the cia isn't.. if truth with words was ever applied, it is much more applicable to the cia then it is the the revolutionary guards.. the world needs to get beyond the usa and friends dictating what is or isn't... we are moving in the right direction, but slowly..
thanks for the article.. i did happen to see and read the rt articles, but it is good to put them all together in a post like this..
I added more in the comments.
My understanding of Taliban history was that it was formed from Afghan refugees in Pakistan who attended Saudi-funded madrasas, thus the name, as 'taliban' means 'student' in Pashto. They were armed and trained by Pakistan's ISI to put an end to the military chaos fomented by 'mujahideen' warlords. Their ideological background makes them severe Islamists, some say 'extremists', but they are hands-down better than the Afghan warlords they displaced, and well above the American instituted kleptocracy they also displaced.
You understand well. I read Ahmad Rashid’s two main books about the Taliban soon after they were published and followed events as well as I could using alt-media. IMO, modernity will mellow their strictness and education will broaden Afghan minds. We shall see, but the Stans could become a Union State sort of entity by 2100.
And why not, really? If Al Nusra hesdchoppers are deemed legitimate by the US, anything goes.
The US finance them in the main but Turkiye are Bossman to HTS.
Afghanistan is the perfect example of a US lead intervention disaster. Death, destruction, corruption & money laundering on unimaginable scales. Leaving the country of its adventures in a mess. It made the MIC happy & even more wealthy. It funded the CIA massively. It also made a lot of CIA operatives very wealthy. It resulted in many dead Western soldiers, staggering amounts of opiate addicted Westerners mainly Americans. As well as hundreds of thousands of Opiate related deaths every year. It cost the US tax payers over 2 Trillion dollars. A disaster for millions of people. But for those who always push for 1 conflict or another, it made great profits. The perfect example of an American intervention.
I think the second article is an excellent analysis. I view geopolitics through a lens of Order vs. Chaos, Ma’at vs. Set, Marduk vs. Tiamat. Today this Great War is nation states vs. Mammon. When the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, the state was demolished and Chaos ruled. Opium production soared. US bases were established. Terrorism was nurtured and exported. When the US left in 2021, it confidently expected to leave Chaos behind. The US was shocked when the Taliban quickly reestablished the infrastructure of a nation state. LOL
Russia is one of the leading warriors in the battle against Chaos / Mammon. As you showed in your last post, Russia is cleaning out the Augean Stables of international criminal organizations which are an integral part of Mammon causing Mammon to grind its teeth. China is another leader in growing Order and reducing Chaos.
By renewing ties to the government in Afghanistan, Russia is hoping to export Order. What will this look like? Replacing Mammon’s poppy production with grain. Closing down clandestine US bases that support international terrorism. Suppressing terrorist activities. Building infrastructure to expand trade with neighbors. To coin a phrase: Make Afghanistan Great Again.
Yes, The Global Majority versus Mammon. That idea fits right in with today’s Hudson/Wolff chat, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnzTbqELDHg
M. K. Bhadrakumar, at Indian Punchline, writes today that the US is maneuvering to normalize relations with Iran, and that the West-leaning government of Pres. Pezeshkian is somewhat receptive. In this regard, the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities was political theater designed to remove any Israeli excuse for further attacks. Moreover, prior to the Israeli attack, the US and Iran had made some progress on an agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program, including allowable.
The agreement to allow any level of enrichment is so contrary to Trump’s previous public statements, I have to wonder what Bhadrakumar’s sources are.
Trump/Zionist position is no enrichment period. I see no harm in dialog as Khamenei has said no agreement’s possible with a 100% untrustworthy Outlaw US Empire. The fact that Russia was promised its workers at Buscher wouldn’t be targeted told me the attack was all about Regime Change and will always be that.
This is good news and particularly important that yet another rail branch can traverse Afghanistan from China to the Iranian coastline at the Indian Ocean. The gradual expansion of good relations - including Pakistan - is a very important security maneuver in this region. Energy, transport and water reticulation are critical factors to enable an improved quality of life for all in Afghanistan and it is clear that both Russia and China grasp the importance of developing these elements alongside Afghanistan. Keeping the Great Game Goons of the englanders at bay is vital after almost three centuries of unrelenting sabotage.
"We see that NATO’s efforts along the Arc continue with what’s happening in Armenia and the attempts to regime change Iran—their efforts won’t stop until they’re made to stop." China is a dynamo of wealth generation and is a creator of projects on scale that dwarfs anything the Americans and their chihuahuas can summon. A parasitic model of wealth extraction simply can't compete, so now it's a matter of putting a stick into the spokes of western machinations, and I see that stick will be kinetic.
There must be an institutional sticks too as Hudson and Wolff discuss, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnzTbqELDHg
When it comes to Central Asia (as in the map) - isn't is funny that a part of "Central Asia" is in Europe?
Recognizing the Taliban IMHO a long overdue move.
Yep, Kazakhstan is in the OSCE. IMO, there needed to be regional consensus for recognition to happen, although I don’t know if that’s a fact. Surprised Lavrov wasn’t asked about that at his BRICS Summit presser. Ukraine still obscures many things.
I wrote yesterday that Afghanistan is a member of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) consisting of 10 countries - Azerbaijan, Iran Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan Tajikistan, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
With Turkiye receiving AID from Uncle Sham to house HTS and other undesirables here's hoping that Bob-Hope is the only dope they're smoking.
The CIA & US Big Pharma will get their opium by hook or by crook, like on the two mules for sister Sarah over the rocks above the pass.
Yes the drugs don't work, they just make you worse, but I know I'll see your face again.
I don't mean OSCE, I mean geography. The border between Europe and Asia is placed along the Ural. Kazakhstan extends well beyond, West towards the Ural almost reaching the Volga. Well, not many inhabitants over there in the European part as it is steppe ... semi-desert.
Yes, I understood, while OSCE was based on geography. Personally, I’ve always found the need to make Europe a separate part of Eurasia part of European Exceptionalism, which Edward Said described so well.