Category Archives: Afghanistan
Withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Afghanistan on 9/11
President Biden set a date certain for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. It’s September 11. The Taliban have yet to RSVP.
Russian Bounty Hunters in Afghanistan
The last big bounty scandal in the news involved the New Orleans Saints. But there are no saints in this story. The NYT reported that Russian President Putin paid the Taliban to kill American soldiers. A WSJ editorial questioned the need for bounties, considering the Taliban already whacks Americans for the religious thrill of it. But considering Putin’s record killing journalists in his own country it sounds plausible.
And inquiring minds want to know what Trump did about it. Nothing. Though he did kill a couple hundred Russians in Syria in 2018, but that was before the story broke.
Or maybe 1980s are calling to get back their Stinger missiles that President Reagan gave to the Taliban to shoot down Russian helicopters.
Anyway, Catherine Herridge at CBS says the CIA and NSA are split on the bounty story, and the president claims he was never briefed.
American Taliban Re-writing History Again
The American Taliban set out to remake the world 20 years ago. John Walker Lindh graduated from high school, converted to Islam and made his way to Afghanistan where he joined the Taliban. However, his adventure ended abruptly after 9/11/2001. U.S. forces captured him during fighting in a prison uprising near Mazar-e Sharif. The American Taliban then went on to serve another 17 years in an American prison.
In addition to harboring Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban was best known at the time for blowing up buddhist statues. Coming from Marin County, California, I would have figured Lindh to be more suited for the Buddhist side of things.
Syria Pullout
ISIS J.V. Team
President Trump got off the phone with Turkish President Erdogan and announced he’s pulling the troops out of Syria. And Secretary of Defense James Mattis resigned.
Democrats and Republicans found common ground slamming the Syria pullout decision. They say the pullout sells out the Kurds and creates a vacuum that ISIS will fill. Same as when Obama pulled out of Iraq. (At least the Republicans say that.)
Pro Syria Pullout
But Reason’s Nick Gillespie and Andrew McCarthy of NR think Trump did the right thing. If we stay in Syria we’d have to choose sides in a war between Turkey and the Kurds. Erdogan’s nasty but Turkey is a NATO ally. Besides, we’re there illegally. Congress never approved it and that makes it unconstitutional.
9/11 Book Seventeen Years Later
My how times change… Here are a few cartoons from my 9/11 book published in 2002. Click on any of the images to get a readable image in a new tab.
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