The US defeat in Afghanistan has reduced its malign influence in the region but not completely eliminated it. Afghanistan’s neighbours need to coordinate their policies to keep US influence out and to chalk out a strategy for the future to bring about peace.
For American warlords, war is a racket. The $2.26 trillion spent on the 20-year-war in Afghanistan made a lot of people in the US extremely rich. Arms manufacturers, generals—retired and serving—used a revolving door to keep pushing for war.
The lightning speed and peaceful way in which the Taliban took control of the country, including the capital city Kabul indicates their brilliant planning and wide support among the masses.
Iraq is trying to play a significant regional role to try to reduce tensions. It also serves Iraq’s interests, as the Baghdad summit showed.
Diverse political groups in Iraq are increasingly demanding the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the country. Their focus is the US presence that is at the root of all of Iraq’s problems.
Why the US and its Nato allies will continue to look for pretexts to continue interference in Afghanistan and why they will fail.
Soundly defeated militarily by the Taliban, the US warlords have not given up on mischief-making. They are setting up a trap for Pakistan even as they retreat in disgrace from Afghanistan.
While announced to much fanfare that US troops would be out of Afghanistan by September 11, US President Joe Biden left out whether the 18,000 mercenaries euphemistically called “contractors”, operating in Afghanistan would also go. The Taliban are not amused.
America’s addiction to war necessitates the manufacture of enemies. The warlords in Washington deliberately provoke conflicts because it helps sell weapons at exorbitant prices raking in billions of dollars in profits.
While it is well known that global spending on weapons is extremely high, in the last five years this has reached a staggering total of $1.92 trillion. The US leads the world in military spending with an annual budget of $732 billion, far out-spending its nearest rival China at $261 billion.
Will the US take on China militarily? It is highly unlikely because the Washington warlords know they would face almost certain defeat. Instead, the US is creating alliances with various countries to confront China both economically and militarily.
