(2021-08-21). US evacuates about 13,000 people from Afghanistan, Biden says. tass.com These numbers include American citizens and permanent residents, as well as their families, US President said…
(2021-08-21). A guide for the U.S. antiwar movement. mronline.org 
Six Principles for an Increasingly Authoritarian Age.
(2021-08-21). Keep The US Embassy In Kabul Open. popularresistance.org I was on the small U.S. Department of State team that reopened the U.S. Embassy in Kabul in December 2001 and strongly feel that if the U.S. really cares for the people of Afghanistan, it should keep the U.S. Embassy open. | History reveals that generally when U.S. military strategies don't work such as in Cuba (1959), Viet Nam (1975), Nicaragua (1979 and 2018), Iran (1979) and North Korea (1953), the U.S. closes embassies and wrecks havoc through brutal sanctions on the economies of the countries to have some sort of soul-soothing revenge for the politicians that put the U.S. in conflict with the countries. | I'
(2021-08-21). Latest US misstep in Afghanistan just one of many. asiatimes.com 
US President Joe Biden is under a tremendous amount of pressure from his own Democratic Party and the liberal media establishment for daring to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan and allowing the country to fall back into the hands of the fundamentalist Taliban regime. Biden, in a statement on August 14, said, "One more year, …
(2021-08-21). Taliban wants ties with all countries, including U.S.: Taliban political chief. ecns.cn Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of Afghanistan's Taliban, said the Taliban intends to have economic and trade ties with all countries around the world.
(2021-08-21). News on China | No. 64. dissidentvoice.org In episode 64: The United States disengages from Afghanistan, its image in tatters. China, on the other hand, stays engaged. The disinformation campaign in Xinjiang has negatively impacted western corporations who played along with the disinformation. Chinese technology continues to advance in AI. Chinese show a high regard for their cultural heritage.
(2021-08-21). MN speaks out against US occupation and refugee crisis in Afghanistan. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On August 18, representatives from Twin Cities anti-war groups and the local Afghan community gathered at the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue bridge to hold a press conference on the unfolding situation in Afghanistan. The event was part of a weekly peace vigil organized by Women Against Military Madness. | Days earlier, the U.S.-backed Afghan government and Afghan National Army collapsed in the face of a nationwide offensive by resistance forces led by the Taliban, after the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from the country. The Taliban's quick success effectively brought an end to nearly 20 years of U.
(2021-08-21). Will Americans who were right on Afghanistan still be ignored? nationofchange.org After spending trillions of dollars and killing millions of people, the abysmal record of U.S. war-making since World War II remains a tragic litany of failure and defeat, even on its own terms.
(2021-08-21). The Crimes Of The West In Afghanistan. popularresistance.org As in Iraq, as in Libya, as in Mali. It is time to finally bury the doctrine of the so-called "responsibility to protect", which was coined at the time of the beginning of the Afghan war, and to brand it as what it was from the beginning: a neocolonial project.
(2021-08-21). Taliban to present new Afghanistan governance system in coming weeks – official. tass.com The official noted that the movement is discussing peaceful withdrawal of Western forces from the country…
(2021-08-21). Mapping Faultlines: What lies ahead for Afghanistan? peoplesdispatch.org What is the situation in Afghanistan with the Taliban takeover? What is the approach of the regional powers likely to be, and what stake might the US and other western countries likely to have? Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha explains…
(2021-08-21). The Road from Kabul to Idlib. Afghanistan and the Role of Al Qaeda. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-21). Soft Power Just Shifted Massively From West To East. southfront.org 
U.S. soldiers at Kabul airport. Illustrative image | Written by Don Hank | If you look back to the US's first involvement before the start of the Afghan war in 2001, a case can be made that Biden's decision to pull US troops out of the country was planned as part of the ongoing US attempt to weaken Russia. After all, the Democrats have been accusing Putin of meddling in the 2016 election and they seem to have fallen for their own proofless narrative. | Bringing down (Soviet) Russia was the goal when the CI…
(2021-08-21). How and Why the Taliban Won. strategic-culture.org Between America's founding and the present time, America has switched from doing war against military occupiers, to doing war as military occupiers, Eric Zuesse writes. | The prominent philosopher Slavoj Zizek The Taliban's 80,000 troops have retaken Afghanistan with cities falling like dominos while the 300,000-strong government forces, better equipped and trained, mostly melted and surrendered with no will to fight. Why did it happen? | The Western media tell us…
(2021-08-21). US Coordinating With Allies to Block Taliban Recognition. news.antiwar.com The US is working with its allies on Since the Taliban took power, the US has frozen billions in Afghan funds. US officials are laying out conditions for what they want an Afghan government to look like, and if those conditions aren't met, Afghanistan would likely end up under heavy US economic sanctions. | Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with EU officials and G7 ministers about Afghanista…
(2021-08-21). Invitation to a Fiasco: U.S. Policy Toward China and Iran. strategic-culture.org By Eve OTTENBERG | U.S. foreign policy since World War II has been a screaming disaster. Coups, regime change operations and CIA-sponsored slaughters drowned the globe in blood. So did imperial wars, from Korea to Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq — all of which, incidentally, were lost. Washington's pursuit of its "interests" inexcusably piled tens of millions of corpses to the heavens. So when Biden, early in his presidency, cited those interests as guides to his foreign policy, it was only natural to expect the worst. | That expectation has proved correct, except for the military withdrawal from Afghanistan…
(2021-08-21). West's meddling has caused the calamity in Afghanistan. greenleft.org.au Green Left's Pip Hinman spoke to Shayaan, a member of the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan (SPA) about the situation on the ground in the country.
(2021-08-21). The Lessons the U.S. Will Probably Not Learn from Afghanistan. commondreams.org Most of the world's countries support these global agreements on conservation and pollution, but the United States is noticeably absent.
(2021-08-21). Will the Voices of Those Who Were Always Right on Afghanistan Still Be Ignored? truthout.org 
America's corporate media are ringing with recriminations over the humiliating U.S. military defeat in Afghanistan. But very little of the criticism goes to the root of the problem, which was the original decision to militarily invade and occupy Afghanistan in the first place. | That decision set in motion a cycle of violence and chaos that no subsequent U.S. policy or military strategy could resolve over the next 20 years, in Afghanistan, Iraq or any of the other countries swept up in Amer…
(2021-08-21). For the Seventeenth Time, Afghanistan Was Never "Winnable". commondreams.org
(2021-08-21). Australia must support Afghanistan now, protesters say. greenleft.org.au Hundreds joined a protest on Parliament House lawns calling for freedom for Afghanistan, women's rights, refugee rights and much more support the Afghani community here. Susan Austin reports.
(2021-08-21). Now Would be a Great Time for George W Bush to Shut the Fuck up. orinocotribune.com By Caitlin Johnstone — Aug 17, 2021 | George W Bush has "Laura and I have been watching the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan with deep sadness," the Hague fugitive writes. "Our hearts are heavy for both the Afghan people who have suffered so much and for the Americans and NATO allies who have sacrificed so much." | Bush tells…
(2021-08-21). Biden expands military operations in Afghanistan amid withdrawal crisis. wsws.org Appearing yesterday at his first White House press conference since the fall of Kabul, US President Joe Biden tried again to play down the humiliating blow suffered by the US and its allies in their 20-year neo-colonial war in Afghanistan.
(2021-08-21). Look! Take an Afghander at that perennial FUBAR. zcomm.org We see exactly what we see in Afghanistan right now, the logical mess at the end of nearly two decades of mistakes compounding mistakes…
(2021-08-21). Biden Heads Home for the Weekend as Turmoil in Afghanistan Continues, Media Says. sputniknews.com The US President previously faced criticism over spending the weekend at the presidential retreat in Camp David while the Taliban was capturing Kabul.
(2021-08-21). No Amount Of PR Can Mask The UK's Failure In Afghanistan. southfront.org 
Photo by Christopher FurlongNot heeding warnings, the UK pursued a laissez-faire approach to Afghanistan, and is now picking up the pieces… | Written by Johanna Ross, a journalist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. | If Boris Johnson thought he would get broad support for UK policy towards Afghanistan when he entered the House of Commons on Wednesday, he was mistaken. During the seven hour debate, not only was he lambasted by members of opposition parties, but by members of his own party. | Conservative colleagues suggested there…
(2021-08-21). We thank Iran for sending fuel to Lebanon: Sunni cleric. en.mehrnews.com "We thank the Islamic Republic of Iran for sending fuel to Lebanon," said the head of Lebanon's "Qulna wa Al-Amal" association, while strongly condemning the US policies toward Lebanon.
(2021-08-21). Lebanon approaches UN after Israeli jets violate its airspace to fire on Syria. peoplesdispatch.org The Israeli air force launching several missiles targeting locations in the Syrian capital Damascus and the city of Homs on Thursday night. Syrian air defense claimed that they were able to intercept most of the missiles…
(2021-08-21). Saturday 8/21: Free Palestine. indybay.org corner of Ocean and Water Streets, Santa Cruz…
(2021-08-21). The Quiet Rebellion: Why US Jews Turning Against Israel is Good for Palestinians. orinocotribune.com 
By Ramzy Baroud — Aug 18, 2021 | Israel is now at a crossroads. It can only win back the support of US Jews if it abandons Zionism altogether, or abandon them in favor of complete reliance on the Evangelicals. In fact, some top Israeli officials are already advocating the latter. | A unique but critical conversation on Israel and Palestine is taking place outside the traditional discourse of Israeli colonialism and the Palestinian quest for liberation. It is an awkward and difficult—but overdue—discussion concerning American Jews' relation to Israel and their commitment to its Zionist ideology.
(2021-08-21). World mobilises against the U.S. on Cuba—including China. mronline.org 
Cuba is a small country. But because it became in 1959 the first country in the Western hemisphere to thoroughly break with U.S. domination, and embark on a path of national independence, events concerning Cuba have a geopolitical significance many times greater than its size. Present events show that this continues to be the case.
(2021-08-21). Cuba agradece solidaridad de la Unión Económica Euroasiática. telesurtv.net En su estatus de estado observador Cuba destacó las donaciones y el respaldo mostrado por los países del bloque.
(2021-08-21). Syrian Diplomat Aliaa Mahfouz Ali on 10 Years of War. orinocotribune.com At first, I would like to say that for us, Syrians, the passage of 10 years to the Syrian crisis does not call for celebrating the revolution as some are trying to portray the situation. | It is with a heavy heart we remember this day as it marks 10 years of suffering for Syrian citizens after the United States, some Western and regional countries, spent tens of billions of dollars in order to break up Syria and terminate its role in the region especially in facing the policies of occupation and hegemony. | So back to your question, the Security Council has primary responsibility under the United Nations Chart…
(2021-08-21). Syria's Air Defenses Intercepted 22 Missiles During Recent Israeli Attack: Russian MoD. southfront.org 
Illustrative image. | The Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces (SyAADF) shot down 22 missiles fired by Israel during the recent "The Syrian air defense on duty destroyed 22 missiles from the Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsir-S systems," Kulit said. | The Israeli strikes, which were launched from Lebano…
(2021-08-21). Israeli Planes Attack Syria Through Lebanese Airspace; Forced Civilian Planes to Reroute. news.antiwar.com Overnight Thursday Israeli warplanes carried out attacks against the Syrian capital of Damascus and nearby Homs. As is so often the case, the This is a problem most of the time, and was even more perilous this time, as a pair of civilian airliners had to be rerouted. Violating Lebanese airspace is one thing, endangering aircraft is quite another. | Lebanese PM Hassan Diab has instructed the ambassador to the UN to raise a complaint about the attack…
(2021-08-21). Former Rebel Commander Killed In Syrian Army Mortar Attack On Daraa Al-Balad. southfront.org 
Syrian Army soldier launches a mortar round toward insurgents in western Aleppo, Syria. Source: SANA | Late on August 20, Mohamed Hilal Zatima, a former rebel commander, was killed by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). Zatima was one of more than a hundred gunmen who have been holding up in Daraa al-Balad, the southern part of Daraa city, for nearly two months now. | The former commander was reportedly killed when the army shelled a post he was manning in Tariq al-Sad district with mortars. Several other people, most likely gunmen,…
(2021-08-21). Afrin Liberation Forces Announces New Attack On Turkish Forces, Shares Footage Of Missile Strikes. southfront.org 
Illustrative image, fighters of the Afrin Liberation Forces. Via the Hawar News Agency (ANHA). | On August 21, the Afrin Liberations Forces (ALF) announced that its fighters carried out a series of attacks against the Turkish military and its proxies in the northern countryside of Syria's Aleppo between August 14 and 19. | In a statement, the ALF listed the attacks as follows: | On August 14, a Turkish-backed militant was killed by an ALF sniper near the town of Marea. Three other militants were wounded when the ALF targeted…
(2021-08-21). New Wave Of Russian Airstrikes Hit Greater Idlib (Photos, Video). southfront.org 
A Russian Su-24 takes off on a combat mission at Hemeimeem airbase, Syria, on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. IMAGE: AP PHOTO/VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV | On August 21, a new wave of Russian airstrikes hit the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, where many terrorist groups are present. | The airstrikes destroyed a compound located near the town of Hmeimat in al-Ghab Plains in the northwestern countryside of Hama. The region is an infamous stronghold of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of Greater…
(2021-08-21). Workers Struggles: Asia and Australia. wsws.org India: Tamil Nadu state government workers protest for higher allowance; Patna municipal workers strike indefinitely; Sri Lankan health workers demand stricter COVID-19 lockdown…
(2021-08-21). COVID-19 origins tracing should not be politically motivated, says Bangladeshi FM. ecns.cn COVID-19 origins tracing should be objective rather than politically motivated, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview.
(2021-08-21). COVID-19 lab leak theory "extremely unlikely": virologist. ecns.cn The theory that scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology engineered SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was extremely unlikely, reported the South China Morning Post on Friday.
(2021-08-21). Over 1,600 internet hospitals established in China. ecns.cn Over 1,600 internet hospitals have been established in China so far, and nearly 49 million people took online diagnosis and treatment in 2020 with the prevalence of online healthcare service, according to an official of the National Health Commission.
(2021-08-21). Russia's talks with Taliban are latest proof Moscow's foreign policy is non-ideological. The West could learn a lesson from that. rt.com 
Both Russia and China are pursuing a strategy of engaging with the Taliban. While some politicians and commentators insist this is a global threat, the reality is that constructive talks are now more likely to bring stability. | Winston Churchill famously defined Russia as "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Its unique history and geography have obviously produced a distinctive political culture, but Western efforts to mystify Russia also have the effect of drawing a dividing line between the rational and predictable 'us' versus the irrational and unpredictable 'other' — Moscow. | As a res…
(2021-08-21). Scientific health policies contain delta variant outbreak in China. wsws.org US and European media that oppose scientific social-distancing policies at home have responded with calls for Beijing to abandon attempts to limit the spread of COVID-19.
(2021-08-21). The WHO Blames China for Covid-19. The WHO Is Supporting Criminal Injections Falsely Called Vaccines? globalresearch.ca If WHO were seriously interested in the health of people Worldwide, it would investigate the so-called vaccines, which in fact are not vaccines, but at best "experimental gene therapies"
(2021-08-21). [Correspondence] Revisiting the evidence for physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection. thelancet.com Derek Chu and colleagues' 2020 meta-analysis1 was epidemiologically flawed. In a comparison of countries where face mask wearing was mandatory (eg, China) with countries where it was not (eg, Italy), they find a lower rate of COVID-19 in countries where masks were mandatory.1 Many variables can explain such a finding, so it is clearly a case of correlation not causation. The only country-wide study included in the meta-analysis that investigated whether face mask wearing protects against COVID-19 was from China.
(2021-08-21). Biden to nominate ex-NATO envoy ambassador to China. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com I was to have debated Burns ahead of the NATO summit in Chicago in 2012 before his announced appearance was cancelled. "Rozoff and a representative of Iraq Veterans Against the War will take the anti-NATO position in a debate with former Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns and NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary James Appathurai at …
(2021-08-21). Two workers killed and one suspect arrested in shooting at NHK Seating plant in Indiana. wsws.org Two workers were killed and a third is a suspect in a shooting that took place outside of the NHK Seating of America plant on Wednesday in Frankfort, Indiana.
(2021-08-21). Yemeni Minister Claims Iranian Military Advisor Was Killed In Saudi Airstrike. southfront.org 
File image. | On August 21, Muammar al-Iryani, Minister of Media in the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, claimed that an Iranian military advisor who was supporting the Houthis (Ansar Allah) was killed in the central Yemeni province of Ma'rib. | According to al-Iryani, the advisor, allegedly called "Heydar Sirjan," was killed along with nine other people, including two Colonels of the Houthis "Musa al-Qahazi" and "Ahmed al-Sahari," when a warplane of the Saudi-led coalition bombed their position in the district of Sirwah.
(2021-08-21). Four PMU Fighters Killed In ISIS Ambush North Of Baghdad (Video). southfront.org 
Illustrative image. | Late on August 20, four fighters of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) were killed and seven others were wounded in an ambush set by ISIS terrorists in the district of Tarmiyah to the north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. | ISIS terrorists blew up a vehicle of the PMU with an improvised explosive device then ambushed a unit that was dispatched to attack scene. According to different Iraqi media sources, five cells took part in the well-planned ambush. The terrorists used rocket-propelled grenades a…