The Afghan mujahideen’s defeat of the Soviet army in Afghanistan resulted not only in collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of communism but also brought radically changes in global politics.
American officials frequently bark demands of Pakistan to “do more” to fight terrorism yet Afghanistan under US-occupation is a den of terrorists from where they launch deadly attacks inside Pakistan.
Far from fighting terrorism, the US creates and actively promotes terrorists for its imperialist agenda. Its support of ISIS in Afghanistan illustrates this.
Pakistan’s rookie Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi surprised most observers by his calm demeanor, ready wit and firm stand on issues during his maiden appearance at the UN.
Donald Trump says he read a lot of briefs (a blatant lie, he does not read!) before announcing his new policy on Afghanistan. He blamed Pakistan for US’ defeat and then prescribed the same failed policy as his predecessors.
The people of Afghanistan have not witnessed a single day of peace since the April 27, 1978 coup against the government of Sardar Mohammad Daud. Millions have perished or made refugees over the years.
On one side of Khorasan, Iranian revolutionaries struck a blow against the US (capitalist) empire. On the other side, Afghan freedom fighters struck a blow against the Russian (communist) empire. Taken together, these events signaled the decline and fall of the two major Western imperial ideologies of the 19th and 20th centuries. Therefore the simplest and most obvious interpretation of the Khorasan ahadith is that the “Muslim army” that will liberate al-Quds is a unified army of the Islamic Awakening which emerged simultaneously from the two sides of Khorastan in 1979.
For decades the Saudis have peddled their narrow-minded nonsense as ideology by disbursing petrodollars. Given its disastrous consequences for the Ummah, this no longer works even with its own agents.
The people of Afghanistan face another grim anniversary as their rulers—all puppets of the West—continue to enjoy the perks of office. Their days, however, appear numbered.
The first Battle of Kunduz took place from April to October 2015 for control of the city, where Taliban forces were playing cat and mouse for months and finally overran the city, forcing government forces to flee. The capture marked the first time since 2001 that the Taliban had taken control of a major city in Afghanistan. The Afghan government claimed to have largely recaptured Kunduz by October 1 in a counterattack. But by 6 October, the Taliban had recaptured substantial portions of Kunduz.
1After spending more than a trillion dollars in Afghanistan, the Americans are not closer to vanquishing the Taliban. The resistance group has emerged stronger and now occupies large swathes of territory.
2This is the second part of Zafar Bangash’s article on “change”; the first part was published in the October 2016 issue of Crescent International, concluding with outlining some of the qualities of muttaqi leadership.
3Three countries in South Asia—Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan—have between them enormous mineral and energy resources. This makes them the special target of predatory powers.
2The first-ever refugee summit at the UN was long on rhetoric and short on action. Further, it was far too Eurocentric and ignored countries that really have taken in the largest number of refugees.
1The US-crafted Afghan regime with two rulers—a president and a chief executive—had little chance of success. It is coming unhinged amid political squabbling as the Taliban make military gains across the country.
Takfirism is not a new phenomenon; its precursor was the Khawarij. Today, the takfiris receive money, weapons, training and support from many regimes, some even carrying Muslim names.
1America's 'sacred war' in Afghanistan is a total disaster but no one wants to talk about it. Instead, the US and its Nato allies want to shovel more billions into a bottomless pit that has been destroyed beyond repair. This film, even by Hollywood's low standards, is excruciatingly tasteless as Eric Walberg finds out.
1Life for the Afghan people has never been easy but having suffered war for nearly four decades, they want some peace and security. These are denied them because of the conflicting interests of external players.
With so many wars raging in the Muslim world, it is easy to forget the long-suffering people of Afghanistan. They have not been well- served by successive rulers.
Peace in Afghanistan is vital for the region but there are players that want to disrupt it, especially members of the Afghan Northern Alliance because they believe such an outcome would diminish their influence and clout in the country.
