(2021-08-16). Afghanistan collapse — an epic U.S. failure. workers.org 
The epic failure of U.S. imperialism in Afghanistan raises the immediate question of what this means for U.S. global corporate power. Especially, what will this howling defeat mean for the entire vast region where U.S. wars have created a vast wreckage? U.S. aggression assaulted the peoples of Southwest Asia. From . . . |
(2021-08-16). Behind the media debate on Afghanistan debacle— a Workers World commentary. workers.org 
Aug. 15 — Insurgent Afghan forces, under Taliban leadership, have surrounded the capital city Kabul. After its initial withdrawal, Washington has sent back 4,000 troops to defend its diplomatic retreat. U.S. imperialism's 43-year war against the poorest of Central Asian countries and the Pentagon's 20-year occupation is crashing to an . . . |
(2021-08-16). Chaos At Kabul Airport As Civilian Flights Suspended Indefinitely. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | Civilian flights out of Kabul airport have been suspended indefinitely, as the airspace above Afghanistan is closed. | United Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said they were not using the country's airspace. | A United spokeswoman said the change affects several of the airline's U.S.-to-India flights. | Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 showed few commercial flights over Afghanistan at 0300 GMT on August 16, but many p…
(2021-08-16). A Viable—and Perhaps the Only—Path to Lasting Peace in Afghanistan. towardfreedom.org Editor's Note: The Taliban victory over the weekend and the evacuation of U.S. nationals cries out for context. That is why Toward Freedom is publishing this article that was submitted prior to the weekend's events. "Women are more mobilized, but they are not a powerful social movement. Afghanistan's more liberal and left social forces are active underground and are not an organized force. These forces include the educated sections, who do not want extremist groups to drag the country into another proxy war. That proxy war would be between the Taliban, the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, and other militant group…
(2021-08-16). Afghanistan's Promising Socialist Future Killed Off By U.S. Imperialism. popularresistance.org Since the horrific events of Sept. 11, much has been said about the desperate situation of the Afghani people now crushed under the heel of the theocratic, dictatorial Taliban, and about the role of the Northern Alliance and other Taliban opponents who now figure in Washington's plans for the region. There has been talk, most of it distorted, about the role of the Soviet Union in the years from 1978 to 1989. There has been talk, most of it understated, about the role of the U.S. in building up the Mujahideen forces, including the Taliban.
(2021-08-16). Was America Attacked by Afghanistan on September 11, 2001? globalresearch.ca The legal argument used by Washington and NATO to invade Afghanistan was that the September 11 attacks constituted an undeclared "armed attack" "from abroad" by an unnamed foreign power…
(2021-08-16). Rapid Taliban Takeover Shows How Little US Understood Afghanistan. popularresistance.org No doubt many Afghans fear a resumption of Taliban rule after two decades, with its draconian rules against music, the cinema and girls going to school. But there is a reason why the Afghan military dissolved before the advancing Taliban, putting up no resistance whatsoever, despite Washington banking on them holding out for at least a month: the Taliban may be rotten but they are Afghans. They may impose an unpopular, repressive regime but they are not a foreign occupation force.
(2021-08-16). Afghanistan meant nothing. therealnews.com 
This story was originally published on By the time you read this, the Taliban may already be in Kabul. If not now, then soon. | Nixon wanted—and got—his
(2021-08-16). Don't Let Them Fool You: Afghanistan Has Been a "Tremendous Success" globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-16). Déjà Vu: Saigon, Vietnam, 1975; Kabul, Afghanistan, 2021. counterpunch.org In addition to global warming (floods, fires, destructive storms, water shortages and water pollution) a pernicious COVID virus with all its offspring variants, a depressed economy, abuse of power, rabid racism, graft and corruption at all levels – Hubris and Arrogance, the afflictions to which all empires succumb, are America's tragic flaws.
(2021-08-16). Turmoil escalates following Taliban's victory in Afghanistan. peoplesdispatch.org The Taliban captured the capital Kabul on August 15 and took charge of all major political and administrative centers. Ever since, thousands of people have been trying to flee the country and this has led to widespread chaos and an atmosphere of fear in the city.
(2021-08-16). Afghanistan: To be Integrated into China's "Belt and Road" globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-16). Washington's War in Afghanistan is Over. What Happens Now? ips-dc.org We don't know yet what the consequences of the events in Afghanistan will be. We do know that there are more than 250,000 Afghans internally displaced since the end of May, thousands more in recent days living in makeshift tents and in parks and on the streets in Kabul. We do know Afghanistan's borders are almost all closed, and that people are terrified. People are afraid of the rising violence, afraid of the Taliban coming to power, afraid of the U.S. bombing underway across the country all week. | Questions are everywhere. How did the Taliban, with 75,000 or so scattered forces, defeat the 300,000-strong U.S.-…
(2021-08-16). Opening And Closing US Embassies-From Sierra Leone To Afghanistan. popularresistance.org While the people of Afghanistan are in a state of fear of the Taliban who now control Afghanistan, its capital, major cities and countryside after the U.S. and NATO occupation of twenty years, please pardon my personal observances of some of my experiences during sixteen years in the U.S. diplomatic corps and opening and closing U.S. Embassies in Sierra Leone and Afghanistan and the effects on the civilian populations of the countries involved. | In December 2001, I was a part of a very small team from the U.S. Department of State that was sent to Kabul, Afghanistan to reopen the U.S. Embassy. The Embassy had bee…
(2021-08-16). Afghanistan: A Timeline of Events Since US Troop Withdrawal. telesurenglish.net Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday night, while the Taliban forces entered the capital of Kabul and took control of the presidential palace. Here is a timeline of the recent situation changes in Afghanistan: | RELATED: | Aug. 15: Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has left the country, head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council Abdullah Abdullah confirmed on Sunday eveni…
(2021-08-16). U.S. defeat in Afghanistan—A contrast with the Soviet experience. mronline.org 
The U.S. has been defeated today in Afghanistan not by a super power with an advanced military, but by a rag-tag army of fanatical locals who perfected and consolidated their fanaticism under U.S., Saudi and Pakistani tutelage in the 1980s to fight the Soviets.
(2021-08-16). Afghanistan: So What Do the Filthy Commie Peaceniks Say Now? zcomm.org The U.S. government, according to its own reporting, accounts for 66% of all the weapons exported to the least democratic quintile of nations on earth…
(2021-08-16). Aircraft Of Afghan Air Force Crashed In Uzbekistan (Photos). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | An aircraft of Afghan Air Force crashed in Uzbekistan on the evening of August 15. No casualties were reported. | According to the head of the information service of the Uzbek Defense Ministry, the details of the incident are being studied. No other comments have peen provided yet. | The aircraft reportedly crashed in the Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region in the south of the country, near the border with Afghanistan. | According to preliminary data, at least one pilot was injur…
(2021-08-16). Saakashvili Claims Afghans Lost Because They Had No Will To Fight "Unlike Georgians" southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | Strategic genius former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said that a Taliban victory was expected in Afghanistan after the Americans left. | However, in his opinion this isn't because the Afghan Army were understaffed and underequipped, but rather because the Afghan people had "no will to fight". | The Americans couldn't help Kabul's forces, because they didn't want to really fight and protect their country."Ten years ago I said that as soon as the Americans leave Afghanistan, the fa…
(2021-08-16). Journalist Ahmed Rashid on the Taliban's Return to Power & What Comes Next for Afghanistan. democracynow.org 
As the Taliban says it will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan after seizing control of the country, we discuss their history with award-winning journalist Ahmed Rashid, author of several books, including "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia." "These militants have become very well integrated into Afghan society and into Taliban society," Rashid notes, and if the U.S. wants to capture them, "it's going to be extremely difficult." Rashid also looks at the Taliban's relationship with China, history of human rights abuses against women and whether they will be allowed to cont…
(2021-08-16). Ashraf Ghani Was Always the Greatest Obstacle to Peace in Afghanistan. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-16). Afghanistan: The Worst US Failure In Recent Decades. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size imageKabul begins falling to the Taliban twenty years after the group was expelled. | Written by Paul Antonopoulos, independent geopolitical analyst | Twenty years after former U.S. President George W. Bush launched his "War on Terror," Afghanistan has become the worst failure of Washington's foreign policy in recent decades. On August 1, the Taliban controlled no provincial capital in Afghanistan, but in only half a month they now…
(2021-08-16). Anti-War Voices Say Afghanistan Shows Need to Stop Any Further March to War. scheerpost.com By Brett Wilkins / Common Dreams Amid the lightning collapse of Afghanistan's U.S.-backed government and the all-but-certain return of Taliban rule, anti-war activists on Monday stressed that diplomacy, not bombs or the military-industrial complex, is the only path to lasting peace. The stunning but predictable Taliban reconquest of Afghanistan marks the end of the nearly 20-year U.S. |
(2021-08-16). In Video: First Casualties At Kabul Airport (18+). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The state of chaos prevails at the Kabul Airport for the second day in a row. Hundreds of people tried to forcibly enter planes leaving Afghanistan that is now under the Taliban's control. | Military flights are now the last chance to leave the country by air, after the civilian flights were suspended. But they are now at risk, too, because of the chaos. | Politico reported that Kabul airport had suspended military and civilian flights for security reasons. | On August 16, first casualties we…
(2021-08-16). Nine Policy Recommendations for U.S. in wake of Afghanistan Debacle. zcomm.org Western governments must at least continue their humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people who will be in need of help more than ever before…
(2021-08-16). What the US Should Do in a Post-American Afghanistan. thenation.com What the US Should Do in a Post-American Afghanistan…
(2021-08-16). Bomber Biden Sends B-52s in Tantrum Over Taliban Advance. counterpunch.org In what can only be called a criminal and murderous tantrum by a loser, the United States, on the order of President Joe Biden, has begun dispatching B-52 Stratofortress bombers and AC-130 fixed-wing gunships equipped with large Gatling machine guns and a cannon to carpet-bomb and perpetrate mass killing on Taliban forces surging to victory across Afghanistan.
(2021-08-16). Imminent Collapse of U.S. Imperial project Afghanistan. indybay.org the 40+ year U.S. Imperial project in Afghanistan(started by the Carter administration back in 1979, with Uncle Sam's backing of Usama binLaden–UBL–and his band of jihadists) is now collapsing like a house of cards, sending shock waves in Washington and on the Public airwaves, especially in the NeoLiberal "Corprorate-bin-Laden" media. The rush is on to explain away the bloody hands of Uncle Sam in creating and maintaining the myth that the U.S. went in with good intentions to help "democratize" the Afghan people and, especially, to "liberate" Afghan women from oppression. The reality is almost 180 degrees from…
(2021-08-16). Headlines for August 16, 2021. democracynow.org Taliban Takes Control of Afghanistan After 2 Decades of U.S. Occupation, Haiti's Earthquake Death Toll Soars to 1,300 as Tropical Storm Barrels Toward Stricken Island, U.S. Hospitalizations Are Younger Than Ever; Dallas Schools Defy High Court Ruling on Mask Mandate, Canada's Trudeau Calls Snap Election, Seeking Mandate and Legislative Majority, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin Steps Down Amid Criticism of Pandemic Response, Grenade Attack Kills 12 People in Karachi, Pakistan, Fuel Tank Blast in Lebanon Kills at Least 28 People, Nicaraguan Police Raid Offices of La Prensa, Arrest Editor Critical of Presi…
(2021-08-16). Taliban Seizes Control of Afghanistan; Chaos at Kabul Airport as Thousands Attempt to Flee. democracynow.org 
We go to Kabul, Afghanistan, for an update as thousands of Afghans have fled to the Kabul airport in an attempt to leave the country a day after the Taliban seized control of the country. Taliban fighters entered the gates of Kabul Sunday and quickly took control of the presidential palace, and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country for Tajikistan. Over the past 10 days, the Taliban has captured 26 out of the country's 34 provincial capitals, some of which fell without a fight after the Taliban reached deals with local warlords. The Taliban offensive came as the United States withdraws its troops from Afg…
(2021-08-16). Turkish-Backed Militants Seize Relief Organizations' Houses, Impose Illegal Tolls In Syria's Idlib, Aleppo Countrysides. southfront.org 
A family of farmers harvests maize in rural Aleppo in Syria. Source: WFP/Marwa Awad | Written by Khaled Iskef. | Armed groups sponsored by Turkey carry on oppressive practices that exploit citizens by usurping their properties on one pretext or another. | It has come to a point where they have taken over houses built by the Relief Organizations (ROs) to shelter displaced people. At the same time, they imposed tolls on locals in return for allowing them cultivate their own farmland. | Moreover, sources has indi…
(2021-08-16). Military Situation In Syria On August 16, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On August 16, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 23 times: 11 — in Idlib province, 5 — in Latakia province, 4 — in Hama province, 3 — in Aleppo province | On August 15, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in Mariyan | On August 15, clashes between SAA and former rebels were reported in Daraa city | On August 15, Turkish-backed forces arrested two civilians in Afrin and took them…
(2021-08-16). WorkWeek On Trumka, Racist Attacks & Hanging Nooses & Privatization Of Education. indybay.org WorkWeek covers the death of former AFL-CIO president Trumka, the racist terror campaign against Black LA Belt line rail workers including hanging nooses. | WorkWeek also covers the privatization of public education and the racist xenophobic attacks on Asians and Asian Americans.
(2021-08-16). Does China's Rise Really Threaten the U.S., Or Just Its Sociopathic Power Elite, Who Want to Keep Ruling the World Even if It Drags Us into WW III? globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-16). [Research Paper] Serum ω-6/ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio and diabetic retinopathy: A propensity score matching based case-control study in China. thelancet.com Our results suggest that serum PUAFR is inversely associated with DR. Although PUFAR-alteration is not observed amongst different stages of DR, it can serve as an ideal biomarker in distinguishing patients with DR from those without DR.
(2021-08-16). The US continues to obstruct China. indybay.org The United States has again demonstrated its willingness to tighten the approach towards Beijing in the economic sphere.
(2021-08-16). Yaqui pipeline fighters need immediate relief. zcomm.org Throughout Indian country, communities are fending off weaponized and illegal incursion…
(2021-08-16). Ukraine Building "Mosquito" Naval Fleet With Allies, Because Russia "Stole" Its Old One. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | Russia "stole" Ukraine's Navy, according to MSM Still, with the United States' help it will build a "mosquito" fleet, featuring small, fast, and stealthy short-range patrol and fast attack craft in a sort of arsenal similar to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. | The…
(2021-08-16). Rocket Fired At Israel From Gaza Following Fierce Clashes In West Bank (Video). southfront.org 
Illustrative Image | In early hours on August 16th, a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. It marked the first rocket attack since the recent Israel's 11-day assault on the Gaza Strip in May. | Air raid sirens have sounded in the town of Sderot in southern Israel. | According to the Israeli Defense Forces, only one rocket launch was identified and the rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome Air Defense System. | Video showing the rocket interception over the town of Sderot was released online. | pic.
(2021-08-16). Local Market Shows The Strength Of The Nicaraguan People. popularresistance.org Going to the popular market in one of Nicaragua's Pacific towns is to feel the immense strength of the Nicaraguan people and to discover the real lives that exist behind the lies that the mass media tell about our country. I go to the market and see the stalls full of fresh vegetables and local fruits, I ask for some pieces of ginger and the young woman tells me proudly: "they are today's, they were cut today… smell them, they are fresh!". | What pride, when in a world where it is a luxury to consume fresh, local products, Nicaragua is full of healthy food for local people to enjoy. I carry on walking and a veg…
(2021-08-16). Economic Update: Chile's Feminist Social Revolution. roarmag.org On this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses the election of a socialist, African-American woman as new mayor in Buffalo, NY; US unemployment insurance's meager support for jobless; Teamsters target Amazon workers for union drive; veterans' suicides and the costs of US wars. | On the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Rodrigo Roa Fernandez, Chilean revolutionary activist on his country's new feminist movement, the Constituent Assembly and the new constitution. | You can support this show on
(2021-08-16). Saturday 8/28: Woman's Rights Day online event. indybay.org Zoom Event. Register at http: //tinyurl.com/WRD-RW…
(2021-08-16). Sharing Mayo Clinic: When the answer was something other than COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org This story came in a note to the Sharing Mayo Clinic blog from Susan Fox, who wanted to share her experience finding an answer to distressing symptoms with help from the COVID-19 Nurse Line, even when the answer was something other than COVID-19. _______________________________________ I'm a 68-year-old woman in Wisconsin and have been a patient with Mayo Clinic for many years. Despite extreme caution, my husband and I both contracted COVID-19 last November. We both recovered slowly, and when…
(2021-08-16). Mayo Clinic Q and A: Increasing fiber intake for constipation relief. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I experience constipation almost weekly, and eating bran flakes every day isn't helping. Are fiber supplements safe to use regularly and long term? Is there anything else I can do? I'm a 53-year-old woman and otherwise in excellent health. ANSWER: When consumed at recommended levels, dietary fiber is widely recognized to have health benefits, including relief of constipation. Adult women 50 and younger should consume at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Women…
(2021-08-16). Public gatherings banned in Sri Lanka amid COVID-19 resurgence. peoplesdispatch.org Health experts have warned that if the present trend continues, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka could increase to 6,000 per day by mid-September…
(2021-08-16). Military Situation In Yemen On August 16, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 198 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours | On August 15, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Sarwah district | On August 15, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Raghwan district | On August 15, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 6 airstrikes on the Nate district | On August 16, sporadic clashes between Ansar Alla…