The new Nazism/Communism
“They are brave. They are fighters. They have taken a lot of casualties over the last year. And we know that they’re willing to defend their country. And we’re going to help them do that. But really, it’s their job to do that now.’’
This was the Pentagon press secretary John Kirby’s words in his TV interview when it came to describe the Afghan forces. He believes they must show the capacity and the capability they have.
This sounds like a mantra but in fact this looks like an estimated defeat.
…Just recently US troops sneaked out, under cover of the night, of the famous Bagram air base, the symbol of American presence in the country. The base was built by the Soviet Union and during the Soviet War in Afghanistan. In 1979-1989 it was the strategic air base. Then the Americans re-built after 2001 with the same purpose. Now this escape effectively shows that America is losing the battle.

But the most worrying thing is that nobody’s sure how strong is Taliban now. They advance is province by province, region by region, with a threatening pace. Kandahar is already under their control and at least half of the country too. The central government seems as weak as it could be.
I remember that in the 2000s, the US and Russia (under Putin, check it out) were actively cooperating in order to crush Taliban forces. Vladimir Putin was America’s best friend in the region because he knew it was the American military that were actually shielding Russia from Taliban. In fact, the US, acting in its own interests, were doing Russia’s job in the region.
Now Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, is saying that the US ‘failed’ its mission in the region but I’m sure this is a bitter-sweet feeling for Putin: now it is time for Russia to stand up against the Taliban as it’s directly threating the stability in the Middle Asia. Russia might be the next one to fall, in the worst-case scenario.
So, my point is: judging that Taliban is moving so rapidly, it must have huge support across the country. For the West and Russia, the Taliban are the medieval forces of darkness.
But not for the Afghanis.
The place is really a ‘shit-hole country’, just like Donald Trump in his non-politically correct way has put it once. I agree.
These people were fighting the British, the Soviets and the Americans. In the end, it seems, they didn’t win but didn’t lose, too.
Nobody will stop the Taliban now, let’s face the reality, no matter if you like it or not. We also have to understand that their values are dangerous both for Russia and the West. This is an alien civilization trying to destroy everything else that doesn’t look like theirs, just like Nazis or Communists in the past. This is their nature, let us not be naive. They want us, so different and often fighting with each other, gone.
The best way would be to somehow encircle Afghanistan under some unbreakable wall and let them rot in their 6th century darkness till they collapse. The problem is they won’t collapse because they like it this way. Their ideas sparkle up the uneducated Moslem masses, the so-called ‘Arab street’, then spreading this poison further out to the most of the Islam countries, finally endangering the rest of the world.
The ‘Nuke’em’ option is not on the table, too. Why not? Just because we can’t be as barbaric as the barbarians themselves. Fine. Anybody’s got any idea how to keep them inside their own stinking spot?
This civilizational danger is strong, it is long-standing, global and capable to overcome obstacles we probably wouldn’t overcome because we’re now softer by nature.

Probably it is time for the West and Russia to think over and this time work out something fruitful, a substantial solution to last. Not sure this would happen, though.
To be continued…
I remember 9/11, that morning I was at a friend’s house. Zim and I were watching Good Morning America and trying to understand what we were seeing. Everybody knew that we had just gone to war, we just didn’t know with whom.
I went home later and remember there were fighter jets in the air. No passenger airliners, just F15’s. You could see them day and night – for days. I lived not too far from Dulles Airport so replacing international flights with circling fighters brought the events home. It was called a CAP, or combat air patrol… the air over my house was a potential war zone.
As you would guess, it was non-stop coverage on TV. Even the cable channels started re-broadcasting the three broadcast networks news. Then as now, Fox didn’t have a real news operation and kinda’ stepped aside.

I remember on the third morning the Coldstream Guard arrived. The British were here. Her Majesty instructed them to go into Downtown New York City, stand in the middle on the street and play Amazing Grace. They did.
It was the only time I cried.… and it just flooded out of me.
Of course, the war didn’t take place in the air over my house; it took place in caves in Afghanistan. Militarily, the bloody business took the Americans little time and the outcome was never in doubt, except by the Taliban. 80% of all mid and high-level Al-Qaeda, led by Osama Bin Laden were killed, along with most of their replacements. If you’ll recall it took some time to track Osama himself down.
I want to point something out in case you haven’t noticed; like most Americans who lived on the Eastern Seaboard, I don’t really need to look anything up. I can tell this story in the first person.
But see, that’s where the story ends for the average American. The actual nation of Afghanistan was little more than road kill; Osama was the person we wanted to die. So he’s dead, all his lieutenants are dead, and their replacements are dead too. So now what?
The good news, bad news here is that despite our reputation, the Americans are not Imperialists and they, we, have no designs on Afghanistan. Having done what we sat out to accomplish, we are finished and want to go home. Most other allies have already left.
My only regret is that the Government appears unwilling to take in the interpreters who assisted the US for years. They and their families need to come to America and given a little money to start new, safe lives.
Of course, this is not the end. I have not accused the Taliban of being a clever bunch. I’m sure they have decided they won some imaginary victory on the battlefield and will again give safe haven to some, yet to be named, group hell bent on defacing Islam.

I am also sure the Americans will be back. What the Taliban fail to understand is that jets never flew into the Kremlin or Big Ben. For the Soviets, it was not personal, it was imperialism and the solders on the ground were not invested in what was happening on any personal level. The individual solders in US Army were there for pay-backs: Kill the bastards was the mission. Because of my low opinion of the Taliban, I suggest history will repeat itself in a couple of years. To be continued…
What now for Afghanistan?
I have been so fortunate to have met several Afghans, but in very unusual circumstances. In 2008, the World Cricket League saw 12 nations, including Afghanistan, endeavour to win the Division 5 World Cricket Championship, hosted by the small island of Jersey, of which I was a resident, and BBC sports reporter.
It was a magnificent story for the Afghans just to be there. Because of the war, they had to practice and train in neighbouring Pakistan, and came to the tournament as rank outsiders. In one of sports great moments, they reached the final, where they had to play the host nation Jersey. It was a magnificent occasion, played in front of over a thousand enthusiastic fans, and yours truly had the honour of commentating that final for BBC Radio Jersey. It was a close and scintillating cricket match, which was won by Afghanistan in thrilling style. (They have since gone forward to reaching the very top of world cricket competitions, but this was seen as the stepping stone to their ultimate success.)

Following that incredible cricket match, it was generally assumed that the Afghanistan team simply “wanted it more”. The Jersey team all had a most comfortable life, while their opponents had to do overcome unbelievable boundaries just to be there. During the interval of that final, I interviewed, live on radio, a reporter with the BBC’s World Service, who had been following their story, who told me that the village inhabited by four of the Afghan team had been bombed that morning. It was decided not to tell them until the match was over.
You can only imagine the distress this caused, not only for me, but for the entire production team. You see, “ordinary” Afghans are wonderful, graceful, and loving people, and I will always consider myself to be so fortunate to have mixed with them during that wonderful summer of 2008.
But sadly, the real Afghan people have no say in what goes on in that country today. With all the major armies moving out, it only remains for those utter bastards the Taliban to take over what parts of the country they can, and probably will. So, all the wonderful stories of young girls actually being educated, being able to wear what they want, and able to listen to the music of their choice, will now be denied them again. The Taliban enjoy going back to the Middle Ages and denying most people their human rights. It is a travesty, and I cannot see anything but utter misery for those wonderful, compassionate, loving real Afghans.

If I had my way, all those countries that were involved in the country should go back and be dedicate themselves to annihilating the Taliban. Fat chance now.