Afghanistan - Taliban Capture Baghlan
The Taliban spring offensive in Afghanistan is more successful than expected.
Today they took the center of Baghlan, a city north of Kabul with some 150,000 inhabitants.
Dr. Drexluddin Khan Spiveyzai Kayani (Drexy Baba) @RisboLensky - 6:10 UTC · May 6, 2021Old #Baghlan town fell to #Taliban after surrender of 100 cops and soldiers. Local account reports that remaining troops are besieged in new part of the city
#Afghanistan
The above thread and this one include several videos showing the Taliban moving freely around and inspecting captured Humvee's and weapons.
Badr-ul-huda Media 'بدرالھدی @Badr_ul_huda - 7:44 AM · May 6, 2021#BREAKING
#Baghlan : The Taliban captured Shahr-i-Kohna (the old bazaar) of Baghlan and surrendered about 200 soldiers with weapons and ammunition.
#Afghanistan #Taliban #Alfath @QariYunusRashid
The city and Baghlan province, marked in pink on the map below, are on the road from Kabul to Tajikistan. This is one of the few 'escape routes' towards a safe country.
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That 200 government police and troops laid down their weapons - other reports even say they changed sides - points to the immense fragility of the Afghan forces. Nearly twenty years of U.S. 'training' has had little effect.
Ghazni, south of Kabul, is also under attack and may soon fall to the Taliban.
Yesterday the U.S. launched airstrikes on the southern province Helmand where the Taliban are besieging the province capital Lashkar Gah:
Officially, the US is presenting this as “support of Afghan national security forces.”
This is a particularly surprising time for such a move, as it comes just a day after the US transferred the Helmand Post to the Afghan Army. The Afghan military was fighting the Taliban in several provinces, including Helmand, but the US was not involved. Conspicuously, as part of the ongoing talks the Taliban had not been attacking the US forces, seemingly trying to avoid starting up a big fight as deals near for a pullout.
The US clearly is less concerned with avoiding lengthening the war, as having taken the provocative step of reneging on the May 1 pullout date, they are now attacking Taliban targets outright, which certainly isn’t going to lend credence to the idea that they are willing to pull their small remnant force from Afghanistan in just two more months.
The U.S. and other foreign troops could have moved out peacefully if the Biden administration had stuck to the May 1 deadline that had been agreed upon between the Trump administration and the Taliban. It instead dithered for three months before deciding that it was really time to finally leave Afghanistan.
Still, many in the Pentagon and CIA do not like the idea and they will do their best to sabotage the retreat by provoking new Taliban attacks on U.S. forces. The White House should demand more discipline from the Pentagon and prohibit airstrikes and other interventions.
The U.S. should move out as fast as possible, let the inevitable happen, and forget about further interference.
Posted by b on May 6, 2021 at 11:31 UTC | Permalink
The Taliban are simply doing what was promised all along.
Eventually defeat the newest empire invading the country and then overthrow whatever puppet government is left after the empire retreats.
I have no idea what type of country the Taliban intends to create now, but it will certainly be better than whatever the US had in mind.
Posted by: Mar man | May 6 2021 11:58 utc | 2
One needs to consider the possibility that the Taliban and other Afghans do not want the US to leave. And they know what to do to keep that from happening.
Posted by: jinn | May 6 2021 12:10 utc | 3
The U.S. would not like the appearance of another Vietnam like retreat - which was replayed in the media for years. Looks bad on resume. Also maybe they are tired of apologizing for the space that they occupy.
The Taliban would like to present a kick in pants to keep them moving and let them know that they are not intimidate by US tactics and expected on going malign operations.
The US has accomplished little to date* at great expense, we can expect more of the same.
* Except it must always be remembered that many people made lucrative careers from this thing and their proteges will be looking for next opportunity.
So, On with the show.
Posted by: jared | May 6 2021 12:23 utc | 4
Iran Airs Disturbing Propaganda Clip Of IRGC Blowing Up Capitol Building
https://politnew.com/politics/4845-iran-airs-disturbing-propaganda-clip-of-irgc-blowing-up-capitol-building.html
Seems that fewer people were decieved by dc's latest stunt double than the empire had hoped.
The '9/11 pullout date' promise was probably regarded as very insulting as well.
Occupation forces should withdraw.
Re: Josh #6,
Yes I was confused as well about why they chose Sept 11 as the pullout date, I mean it was a hugely significant date in a symbolic sense, but what message were they thinking to send to people by selecting that date; That the war on terror started on 9/11 was over (and now they are going after China)? If they did follow through with that date and the Quisling Afghan government immediate collapsed that would be even humiliating than if it had immediately collapsed after some other generic pull out date.
I interpreted that initial 9/11 pullout date as a inside joke, as in "yeah, we're not really going to pullout ever, but here's a date you can look forward to till we push it back again".
Posted by: Kadath | May 6 2021 13:45 utc | 7
Great report. For me, this all goes to show that the USA is not capable of making any agreement/treaty with anyone for any reason that the USA can make binding. The USA, under the previous regime committed to a withdrawal May 1, which the current regime unilaterally changed to Sept 11 2021. In August they'll say Valentines Day 2022, etc. etc. Same with the JPCOA. Same with climate agreements. The United State is a failed state, living on the fumes of a vainglory made from sugar plum fairies and toy soldiers. The collapse of the USA will make the fall of the USSR look like utopia.
Posted by: gottlieb | May 6 2021 14:11 utc | 8
Since 2001, American taxpayers have provided the Pentagon with $14 trillion + another $7 trillion to support ongoing strategic debacles in Afghanistan (longest war in US history), Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen; the Pentagon is incapable of extricating itself from these conflicts as doing so is an admission of failure and by extension military weakness. Biden’s rhetoric notwithstanding, after investing so much human and financial capital, the Pentagon has intention of abandoning imperialist wars in Afghanistan or Yemen. The decline of late-stage American capitalism has progressed to the point where the very survival of the American Empire requires constant debt monetization (aka money printing) to prop up financial markets, Pentagon and support ongoing wars. This can only continue so long as the dollar remains the world’s reserve currency. In 2020, US debt levels increased over $4 trillion; obviously this cannot go on forever.
Paul, IT is my belief that the US economy is run By the MIC. What do we produce anymore? If you take away weapons whats left. The oil industry is going down, but it also survives on war. The military is after all the largest emitter of Carbon in the world. The banking industry certainly likes it. The MSM thrives on propaganda. They are also making it the only place lower class folks can get a job. On top of all that war is the one thing that Americans seem to come together on. This may slowly be changing, I hope!
Posted by: Susan | May 6 2021 14:40 utc | 10
Once the US is out and the puppet government collapses, China will move in in a big way, building infrastructure and mining resources, and raising the standard of living based on their track record so far on other points of the BRI. We can count on this because Afghanistan has a border with China and constitutes a major link in the BRI. There is zero the US can do to stop this from happening.The CIA is going to go into mourning when it loses its heroin revenue for its dark ops. Sad.
Posted by: JDillard | May 6 2021 14:43 utc | 11
Posted by: Susan | May 6 2021 14:40 utc | 10
"If you take away weapons whats left?"
Even the post Cold War designed ones aren't good at being weapons.
Now that I think of it, everything good in the US is done only because the Soviet Union existed.
Posted by: J W | May 6 2021 14:59 utc | 12
Mr. JDillard
There is snow ball's chance in Hell of Chinese doing anything in Afghanistan, big or small.
There is nothing there for them that they cannot get cheaper elsewhere.
Posted by: fyi | May 6 2021 15:11 utc | 13
Thanks for the good reporting b
I look at this movement in Afghanistan as positive. It will keep a certain part of the MIC busy (read continued bleeding) and not getting into something else.
The numbers in my head are 2500 US troops and 28K contractors still in Afghanistan? How many of them will die to continue to keep the God of Mammon religion in control of the West?
The shit show continues until it doesn't....
Posted by: psychohistorian | May 6 2021 15:14 utc | 14
Mr. Paul:
Also keeping in mind that the economic wars of the United States against Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Venezuela and eventually China will continue regardless of the electoral victories of this or that party in Europe or in North America or in Australia.
Those are truly another species of Forever Wars that are causing a realignment of supply chains all over the world and will last decades.
They will end when there is almost a complete decoupling of the targeted states from USD flows.
Posted by: fyi | May 6 2021 15:16 utc | 15
mr jinn #3;
what you say is correct. the talibs have a stronger hand politically while the us remains
Posted by: Leith | May 6 2021 15:20 utc | 16
Kadath | May 6 2021 13:45 utc | 7:
I saw Biden's 9/11 withdraw date as them mocking everyone. There's also the possibility that they're trying to invoke some emotion in the population to continue supporting the occupation.
Posted by: Ian2 | May 6 2021 15:43 utc | 17
Posted by: fyi | May 6 2021 15:11 utc | 13
Did you know for the past 30 years in China, the price of a disposable lighter has always been 15 US cents and still profitable despite significant inflation?
Do not underestimate China's ability to get things done on a relative pittance.
Posted by: J W | May 6 2021 15:47 utc | 18
thanks b... this is in line with your long running viewpoint too... so will the usa pull out?? the pull out date of 9-11 is some kind of sick joke i guess...
@ 9 /10 paul and susan... it isn't just the military industrial complex... it is the wall st complex - financial derivatives and a multitude of ways to generate profit which has nothing to do with being 'productive'.. war=money. don't forget wall st in your outline of what the usa 'produces' for its gdp... remove that and there ain't a whole lot of anything left...
Posted by: james | May 6 2021 16:17 utc | 19
This rapid collapse of the military formations supporting the current US backed Afghan government reminds me of what happened in China in 1949. Basically the CCP had heavily infiltrated the Chiang Kai Shek army (i.e. US puppet forces) and during a critical battle north of Beijing about 2 million of them defected to the communist forces.
Just like that. War over. All that remained was for the Chiang Kai Shek government to escape to Taiwan (called Formosa then, the Japanese colonial name which the US adopted). This was possible because the US Navy was the only naval force in the area. It took awhile, but China looks like it can now take on the US Navy in the South China Sea.
Returning to Afghanistan it seems we are seeing a repeat -- all of those Afghanis who pretended support for the US are bailing and joining the Taliban.
Posted by: ToivoS | May 6 2021 16:18 utc | 20
Pepe Escobar's recap published today sees the "pullout" as a new page being turned:
"The New Great Game 3.0 is just beginning at the graveyard of empires."
He will not be surprised at all by Taliban success in the field. What I find curious is the Taliban's offensive aimed at capturing Helmand province since "Helmand happens to be Afghanistan’s Opium Central," and presumably the CIA's coveted jewel. Iran, Russia and China would like to see Helmand's opium crop decimated by the Taliban gaining control of the region. IMO, some sort of strategy was discussed during Lavrov's recent visit to Pakistan such that a Taliban controlled Afghanistan is a better outcome than any continuing NATO or "contractor" presence that allows an Outlaw US Empire toe-hold type opening. Pepe writes that outcome will be difficult. IMO, Taliban leaders learned an important lesson when they refused the Western efforts to build a pipeline and are willing to join BRI since it's a locally organized development effort that doesn't aim to control Afghanistan politically; Pepe hints at this unspoken possibility.
Afghanistan's people will greatly benefit from the exiting of NATO forces that illegally invaded and devastated so much of the country and its peoples. They will never receive any reparations from the Outlaws, so they must forge their future fortune themselves. In that regard, they are fortunate their neighbors genuinely want to aid that endeavor. In many respects, Afghanistan's a blank page upon which to construct a model futuristic Islamic society that all of Central Asia will want to emulate. But political consolidation must first occur, meaning the War Lords becoming businessmen along with the erasing/replacement of the Opium Growing Culture with developmental construction jobs of all sorts. And that will require training, which will first require peace.
Posted by: ToivoS | May 6 2021 16:18 utc | 20
"This rapid collapse of the military formations supporting the current US backed Afghan government reminds me of what happened in China in 1949. Basically the CCP had heavily infiltrated the Chiang Kai Shek army (i.e. US puppet forces) and during a critical battle north of Beijing about 2 million of them defected to the communist forces."
It's simple why the events of the Chinese Civil War happened as they did: Because virtually no Chinese liked KMT rule.
Posted by: J W | May 6 2021 16:51 utc | 23
RE: Svaya @16,
Regarding Ayatolla Mike, It's been almost 16 months since he disappeared and I haven't any new rumors about his whereabouts. If he really is dead I would expect an announcement of his "natural" death within 3-4 years to provide plausible deniability that he was killed in the manner the rumors suggests. If he's alive and in hiding, then they would probably release something to show that was alive and that the US government is able to protect their key assets (even if he can no longer work openly). Overall I'm leaning towards Michael D'Andrea as rotting in an unmarked grave and the world is better off without him. I think we will eventually know his fate, but eventually could be a very long time (like 20 years)
Posted by: Kadath | May 6 2021 17:01 utc | 24
Leith #16:
"the talibs have a stronger hand politically while the us remains"
That and that the Afghans are rather proud of their reputation as the place where empires go to die.
Posted by: jinn | May 6 2021 17:02 utc | 25
Mr. J W
I would never ever underestimate Chinese people.
But, I would also not alter my estimation of the difficulty of getting anything done in Afghanistan, where there is no state.
Posted by: fyi | May 6 2021 17:34 utc | 26
So if this proceeds roughly as advertised the question will be
Where will these idle mercenaries go next?
Posted by: jared | May 6 2021 17:34 utc | 27
Mr. karlof1
"In many respects, Afghanistan's a blank page upon which to construct a model futuristic Islamic society that all of Central Asia will want to emulate."
You must be a Protestant, if not a Judeo-Christian, with your references to "blank page" (tabula rasa), and the pining for building a world anew; with the concomitant disregard for the past and what has taken place.
What Afghanistan represents is War, Murder, Rape, Brutality, Depravity, Chaos, Muslim Fanaticism, Jihad, Poverty and a whole bunch of other things, none positive.
When Taliban have taken over, it will add to the mud that is the name of Islam today.
The moral, intellectual, political acumen, and cohesion for what you imply does not exist in Afghanistan. In fact, it does not exist in any country in the Sunni World.
Muslims have only a single choice - to model themselves after the Islamic Republic of Iran; the alternatives are Jihadism or Police-state Secularism.
Posted by: fyi | May 6 2021 17:44 utc | 28
Mr. jinn
Yes, sad empty bravado for people deprived of every other sense of accomplishments - Jihad and Opium come to my mind as their singular achievements.
Posted by: fyi | May 6 2021 17:51 utc | 29
Kadath 24
If he did die in that aircraft, or later, his body will likely be in the hands of the Taliban. It has clearly been in their interests to keep quiet on the subject but maybe, if the US are out, they might announce something post 12th September.
Posted by: JohninMK | May 6 2021 19:08 utc | 30
Why does the CIA need heroin revenue when fentanyl can be synthesized?
Posted by: lysias | May 6 2021 21:18 utc | 31
Kadath-[7],
I think this post calls for a [D] to use one of the DNC's officially sanctioned comments for 2021:
"how pleasantly surprised they're to see that Joe Biden is exceeding all expectations"
Sorry...a little too sarcastic, but, when I read the same sycophantic comment scrawled across blog after blog, time, and time again, I am reminded that I am a little fish swimming in an endless sea of propaganda. Will I live long enough to see the end of the madness and delusion of DC's deep state?
Posted by: S Brennan | May 6 2021 22:44 utc | 32
Lysias 31 "Why does the CIA need heroin revenue when fentanyl can be synthesized?"
they don't. but they did sometimes provide political protection to their warlord allies who dabbled in drugs. hekmatyar was the biggest, and the akhundzadas father and son, plus lots of little fish. but then the taliban did it too. mullah omar in 2001 said it was unislamic, but for five years before his fatwa the talibs cashed in on huge opium crops. and for the past ten or 12 years local taliban commanders who needed income for the insurgency have supported farmers growing poppy. it's a non-denominational past-time, all sides do it. opium production puts a half a million afghans to work, more than the afghan army, air force and police. the taliban is big in hashish production also, still illegal in afghanistan, but that's legal now in many us states.
same same in indochina back 50-60 years ago: chief of staff of the laotian army, general ouane rathikone was the owner of several heroin processing refineries in the golden triangle. much of that product entered south viet-nam via the pathet lao. south viet-nam general ngo dzu, arvn commander of ii corps, was a big organizer of that business also.
dzu, the scumbag, came to the u.s. after the fall of saigon and was never prosecuted. let us hope that not any afghan drug lords are allowed in as refugees when kabul falls.
Posted by: Leith | May 7 2021 3:22 utc | 33
b said;"The U.S. should move out as fast as possible, let the inevitable happen, and forget about further interference."
Absolutely..,but, they won't.
Posted by: vetinLA | May 7 2021 4:19 utc | 34
vetinla
we will. we're tired of sinking blood and treasure down a rathole.
Posted by: Leith | May 7 2021 4:33 utc | 35
Mr. JDillard
There is snow ball's chance in Hell of Chinese doing anything in Afghanistan, big or small.
There is nothing there for them that they cannot get cheaper elsewhere.
Posted by: fyi | May 6 2021 15:11 utc | 13
China wont want a poor isolated nation that could provide a source for jihadists to enter eastern China and cause trouble. They will do what it takes through BRI to make it work with diplomacy provided by Russia, China and Pakistan. With the likelyhood of the Taliban displacing the puppet government left behind by the US the Taliban will make a deal. The Taliban too like to make money and I'm sure they will do a "lets make a deal" without Monty Hall may he rest in peace.
Russia, China, Iran and the former soviet republics all have an interest in keeping the BRI in, the jihadists down and the US out. The Pakistan version of that description of NATO would include India in the out part. I'd want to keep an eye on Turkey though. Erdogan has a habit of deploying his "Janissary army" around where he wants to make some geopolitical inroads. But the key to it all is the removal from Afghanistan of the US. It is doable. The situation is precarious for the US in western Asia. Marib is about to fall. The US military in Iraq is seeing attacks against it daily. Iran is defying and winning against the US and Israel. Israel is unable to cope with this fact and are lashing out at what they do best, punishing Palestinians and dividing Israeli society. Vital supplies are reaching Syria from Iran, with convoy duty being provided by Russian warships in the Mediterranean The logistics of getting "stuff" to the US military in Iraq seems easy peasy when compared to Afghanistan. The route from Karachi to Kabul offers plenty of opportunities for IED's and worse. Could be far worse for the US than the liberation of Saigon in 1975. Be more like the destruction of Elphinstone's army in 1842. First time a tragedy, second time a farce. The boys and girls and whatever that are left there could be in for a whole lot of hurt. What did Henry Kissinger say, "Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy." Guess that includes mercenaries as well.
Peak Brexit
The Brits might be a bit distracted to watch the slow motion redux of 1842 what with the British militia firing muskets at the French boats blockading the ports in the Channel Islands. Peak Brexit, I hope. The both have nuclear capability. Lets hope they keep it to throwing stones at each other like the Chinese and Indians did. WOOPS. As Ron Burgundy once said, That escalated quickly.
Karl Sharro @KarlreMarks 18h
Imagine being threatened by those scary French fishing vessels and not having Trident. Thank God we spent all this money on it.
Posted by: Leith | May 7 2021 3:22 utc | 33
If the CIA gives up/loses its revenue stream in Afghanistan perhaps it will expand its operations in Burma to make up for lost revenue there and perhaps in Columbia as well as that other CIA franchise is in a bit of a tight spot at the moment.
Posted by: Tom | May 7 2021 8:04 utc | 38
"It instead dithered for three months before deciding that it was really time to finally leave Afghanistan."
They did not 'dither'. It was never their real intention to leave Afghanistan and they won't. Once again their stated intentions are nothing like their actual ones.
Posted by: Johny Conspiranoid | May 7 2021 8:28 utc | 39
Inflation is coming to the U.S.A. Prices have increased dramatically over the past year. With that comes a lot of hurt. Dollar will crumble faster and faster.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre,
Will the centre hold?
That will ultimately determine the US presence in the region.
Posted by: Tom | May 7 2021 9:07 utc | 40
mr to at 38 'I'd want to keep an eye on Turkey though.'
you seem to be correct about erdogan. just a month ago or so a turkish brigadier, selçuk yurtsizoğlu, took command of the nato taac in kabul. while the us and germany and many other nato troops are getting ready to leave afghanistan, yurtsizoğlu said that the 600 man turkish contingent “will continue to serve in close cooperation with Afghan counterparts, as it has always been.”
speaking of revenue streams, weren't 17th century turkish poppy fields the original source for the brits before they transplanted it to india and burma and promoted the opium wars. perhaps yurtsizoğlu wants to monopolize the poppyseed muffin market.
as for burmese heroin, the major market is in australia and the aussie sis in canberra already holds the franchise. they would look unkindly at any attempts to muscle in on that source of revenue.
Posted by: Leith | May 7 2021 13:45 utc | 41
Mr. Tom
My take is that Afghanistan is now ceded to Pakistan to play her strategic depth doctrine in the poor unfortunate land.
And Pakistan will do nothing, absolutely do nothing, to harm China and her interests - in Afghanistan or anywhere else.
And Pakistan will ensure an orderly departure of US from Afghanistan, they have nothing to gain by harassing operations.
Americans will be gone from Western Asia - except a sliver of land in Palestine and in Trans-Jordan (as long as the Monarchy lasts there).
But, Dr. Kissinger is wrong about US Military, that is one of the few places in the Halls of the Mad King that there still exists rational understanding of the world and of military affairs.
We are truly witnessing the end of an era that started with so much promise in 1946 as the United States began supplanting Great Britain among Muslim states and countries.
It ended, in an analogous manner to the famous dream of the late Nader Shah, by the Shining One ordering the belted Sword be un-clasped and taken away.
Posted by: fyi | May 7 2021 13:58 utc | 42
Today the Taliban captured the dam supplying water to Kandahar. Went be much longer before the final implosion of the puppet child sex slaver warlord Quisling regime.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | May 7 2021 13:58 utc | 43
number 43
that quisling regime in kabul is soon to be replaced by other child sex slavers masquerading as mullahs. and they get a new puppeteer from islamabad to replace the great satan.
Posted by: Leith | May 7 2021 14:33 utc | 44
Mr. Leith
Pederasty has been a common feature of the Persianate culture and civilization, from Afghanistan all the way to Crete - wherever they went.
Posted by: fyi | May 7 2021 14:50 utc | 45
9/11 pullout date is very straightforward: now that Dubya Bush is part of the "woke" posse, a 9/11/21 pullout can be a nice agitprop meme concluding a successful "war on terrah".
Posted by: c1ue | May 7 2021 16:26 utc | 46
@Susan #10
The excess profits from the health care industry in the US are larger than the entire defense budget including "black" appropriations, VA etc. The actual US spending on health care is double that of any other nation on a per capita basis.
So it isn't the MIC running the US economy...
Posted by: c1ue | May 7 2021 16:30 utc | 47
lysias @31: "Why does the CIA need heroin revenue when fentanyl can be synthesized?"
Why drink a fine Scotch single malt when you can get food-grade ethanol for a tiny fraction of the price?
The simple answer is that Hunter Biden and his well-heeled peers will pay a premium for the good stuff.
Stop trying to exonerate the CIA of their crimes. That shit gets old. Debsisdead pulls that shit all the time too. Doubtless he has buddies in "The Company", judging by some of the things he claims to have been involved in, and wants to maintain the illusion that they are just decent folks who by pure chance happened to end up on the wrong side of events. After all, those CIA field operators that he has partied with are decent upper-middle class, all-American, Ivy League kids who are true believers in their own liberal wokeness. Those Kenneths and Sheltons assert with the sincerity that only psychopaths can muster that they really hate having to kill and maim and torture, but it is all the fault of those communists and union organizers and folk musicians for getting themselves snuffed!
Who wouldn't believe such fine and clean-cut young men?
It is a known fact that the CIA traffics in heroin (and cocaine and guns and child sex slaves and more). Imagine that they just continue to do it out of habit if that makes you feel better, but the fact is there is a market for what they traffic and it pays handsomely.
Posted by: William Gruff | May 7 2021 17:00 utc | 48
mr fyi at 45;
i don't think the persians had to teach the greeks, the arabs, the turks, and english about bachabazi dancing boys. some say even jeff epstein and friends occasionally imbibed.
mr gruff at 48;
projection and/or blame shifting by the isi and irgc. much of afghan heroin ends ends up in the eu via ankara by way of pakistan and/or iran. of course some goes north to the central asian stans and to russia, so the svr would like to believe those nasty american spooks are behind it.
Posted by: Leith | May 7 2021 19:08 utc | 49
Mr. Leith
Pashtuns.
Attend one of their weddings with the boy dancers...a truly dreadful sight.
Posted by: Fyi | May 8 2021 1:05 utc | 50
@48 Mr. Gruff who states
"Why drink a fine Scotch single malt when you can get food-grade ethanol for a tiny fraction of the price?"
Absolutely correct. I spent the 90's and 2000's involved with the West Coast's indie rock/grunge scene...lots of heroin use to say the least, I never got into it myself, found the buzz kind of boring...much preferred a phat j of the sticky-icky accompanied by a glass of scotch, one cube please!
Anyhooo....heroin connoisseurs DO NOT want fentanyl cut into their heroin. Two big reasons for this. First it makes it way to easy to accidentally overdose. Second, fentanyl isn't as pleasurable, there is an underlying anxiety that goes with it and the buzz isn't nearly as smooth as good, clean heroin.
In the 90's most of the heroin on the west coast came from Mexico, but within a year of 9/11 good Afghani Chiva started showing up on the streets of Seattle and Portland, which to this day is what you want if you are out looking.
Incidentally, Afghanistan has also become a major producer of crystal meth, due to a locally grown plant (I forget the name) that processes well into high-quality meth.
For these reasons and a couple more, I don't believe the USA will leave Afghanistan even if it means the CIA has to blow up some schools for girls to get us to stay there.
Posted by: Haassaan | May 8 2021 23:27 utc | 51
possibility that the Taliban and other Afghans do not want the US to leave. <=Posted by: jinn @ 3
Susan @ 10 responds, the US economy is run By the MIC. What do we produce anymore? If you take away weapons whats left. The oil industry is going down, but it also survives on war. The military is after all the largest emitter of Carbon in the world. The banking industry certainly likes it. The MSM thrives on propaganda. They are also making it the only place lower class folks can get a job. On top of all that war is the one thing that Americans seem to come together on. This may slowly be changing, I hope! <= Susan @ 10
James at 19 IRT to @ 9 /10 Paul and Susan... it isn't just the military industrial complex... it is the wall st complex - financial derivatives and a multitude of ways to generate profit which has nothing to do with being 'productive'.. war=money. don't forget wall st in your outline of what the usa 'produces' for its gdp... remove that and there ain't a whole lot of anything left...<=Posted by: james@19
<=the meaning of James comment intensifies ifu consider Ocean Tomo China Sept 2020 report <- showed 90% of stock market assets are now intangible[basically created by rule of law from hot thin air].. vs 90% in 1975 that were touchable phyical assets in 1975. and James if American could get rid of all of these hot thin air industries, America could return to its industry base and once again be great in the eyes of the people of the world.
C1ue @ 47 replies to @Susan #10
The excess profits from the health care industry in the US are larger than the entire defense budget including "black" appropriations, VA etc. The actual US spending on health care is double that of any other nation on a per capita basis. So it isn't the MIC running the US economy... <-by: c1ue @ 47 <= the health care mafia is competing with the energy mafia (that's Biden vs Trump), but neither of these two industries are more than pieces to the whole picture..
Missing in the discussion<-what is it the MIC is protecting <-Wall Street, derivative industry, and mafia etc?).I believe it is "monopoly power seeking and monopoly power keeping" [MPS&K] by Oligarch(criminal or innocent) use of the nation state [doing business in lands that offer strategic or real monopoly power opportunity].
The invaded or destroyed place might not even be the place where the "to be protected" or "sought after" ->MPS&K opportunity is located, <- its about private Oligarch ownership and private control by Oligarch interest over monopoly power. The sought after interest in just about every where is privately ownership or privately control over Monopoly power.
The MIC is just the protector or facilitator of the private oligarch interest seeking to acquire, maintain or retain monopoly power some where in the world.
Monopoly powers accrue benefits only to the oligarch, but as paul points out; the cost of that benefit comes directly from the pockets of domestic taxpayers and in nearly every case the oligarch uses the nation state franchise to weakened the domestic place in favor of strengthening Oligarch monopoly provided wealth since about 1860.
The MSM involvement is conspiratorial. it has until recently just controlled the articles (contents) allowed to be viewed, but in recent times, and because of the pressure awaking enlighten society is putting on the question of <-for whom is the nation state system designed to benefit. it now denies independent authors to be sure no un-engineered propaganda gets to the mass audiences.
did Lysisas @ 31 just explain why the withdrawal from Afghanistan?
"Why does the CIA need heroin revenue when fentanyl can be synthesized? by: lysias @ 31
Posted by: snake | May 9 2021 15:28 utc | 52
Just a few years after the post-7/ll US of North A's incursion against the Talibs, some top-notch North American political brass brain complained to the PRC Chinese leaders that the (mainlander) Chinese should shoulder the burden together with "The Alliance of the Willing" and also send some troops into Afghanistan. One high-ranking Chinese replied immediately: "Would 130.ooo fighting men be enough, or should the Peoples' Liberation Army send 300.ooo soldiers?" The Us of now way high bigwig never again raised the matter!
But seriously: Now that the Red China government and Party have re-educated Uighurs and quelled terrorism at home, they should be able to dispatch troops and teachers to re-educate (or just educate) Talibs and other Afghans in 'the three Rs" and patriotic Islam -- like in China.
Posted by: Tollef Ås اس طلف | May 15 2021 15:31 utc | 53
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In context with the woke recruiting, it seems likely the CIA will blindly follow a course that seems to be made entirely from its internal mythos. More pink mist for cheap opioids.
Posted by: Covergirl | May 6 2021 11:53 utc | 1