(2021-08-23). America's Merchants Of Death Then — And Now. popularresistance.org The tag "merchants of death" has long since disappeared from our American political lexicon. But the problem Nye named remains. Our contemporary corporate moguls are continuing to get rich off the preparations that make wars more likely and massively multiply death counts when the actual shooting starts. America's longest war — the war in Afghanistan — offers but the latest example.
(2021-08-23). Why Regionalism Is Important for Afghanistan. towardfreedom.org As the Taliban retakes control of Afghanistan, China and Russia won't make timid pleas to Washington to | place forces on the ground in the country. The militarist path has been deemed a flawed move by both sides. In the coming days, the Sino-Russian bloc will likely prioritize political solutions, thereby promoting a more proactive position for the SCO and emphasizing the importance of regional frameworks.
(2021-08-23). The Peace Movement Must Press For Diplomacy, Not More War, In Afghanistan. popularresistance.org Col. Ann Wright was in Afghanistan to open the US Embassy in 2001. She recounts how the recommendation then was to get the US military out as quickly as possible. Instead, the Pentagon spent 20 years lying to the public and causing great suffering to the Afghan people. Wright exposes the truth about why the US stayed in for so long and explains the politics of the country. She has started a campaign to push for maintaining diplomatic relations with the new Taliban government and is calling for the CIA to cease involvement with local militias that could evolve into a civil war. Despite withdrawing the military, th…
(2021-08-23). Taliban inherit untapped $1 trillion trove of minerals. asiatimes.com 
The Taliban now hold the keys to a nearly untouched trillion-dollar trove of minerals including some that could power the world's transition to renewable energies, but Afghanistan has long struggled to tap its vast deposits. The Taliban are already in a financial bind since they returned to power 20 years after their ouster, as major …
(2021-08-23). Afghanistan's Gold at the NY Fed: 1,731 Old Bars Held Since 1939. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-23). Austrian left mobilizes in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan. peoplesdispatch.org Progressive sections in Austria demanded safe passage and protection for the people of Afghanistan, and sought an end to the deportation of asylum seekers by the government…
(2021-08-23). After Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, Is It Credible to Trust the Intel Agencies on Wuhan? counterpunch.org "Surely, President Biden, you must be joking"! On May 26, these words should have poured forth from the White House Press Corps and the mainstream Commentariat when Joe Biden declared that he was placing the question of Covid-19's origins securely in the hands of the "National Intel Agencies." They were to report back in 90
(2021-08-23). The US and UK Got Things So Wrong in Afghanistan Because They do Not Understand the Afghan Way of War. counterpunch.org The American way of dealing with a lost war is to withdraw its forces. The Afghan way of dealing with it is to change sides as quickly as possible. The Afghan way of war has created confusion among foreign political and military leaders in the past 20 years, but never more so than during the past few weeks as the Taliban swept through the country, capturing city after city without facing serious resistance.
(2021-08-23). Child soldiers are OK if they're anti-Taliban? AFP takes flak over photos of 'armed' Afghan kids waving flag of local resistance. rt.com 
Paris-based news agency AFP has been accused of romanticizing child soldiers after photographing an Afghan children's 'militia' in Panjshir province, where locals have taken up arms against the Taliban. | The outlet, known for its photojournalism, apparently took an interest in a group of kids who wanted to show their martial spirit amid a tense standoff with the Taliban. | "Afghan children carry rifles and a Panjshir National Resistance Front flag along a road in the Dara district of Panjshir province," AFP
(2021-08-23). Will Americans Who Were Right on Afghanistan Still Be Ignored? counterpunch.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
(2021-08-23). Biden's Botched Withdrawal From Afghanistan is Consistent With Two Decades of America's Missteps There. counterpunch.org 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, or
(2021-08-23). Taliban captured the Entire Territory of Afghanistan with the Exception of Panjshir Province. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-23). Tehran welcoming formation of inclusive govt. in Afghanistan. en.mehrnews.com Saying that Iran will stands by the Afghan people at this critical juncture, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman voiced Tehran's support for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan.
(2021-08-23). Justice for Afghanistan rally. greenleft.org.au Video from the huge rally in Meanjin/Brisbane for justice for Afghanistan. The rally called for at least 20,000 refugee visas and immediate granting of permanent protection for thousands of Afghan refugees already in Australia on temporary visas. Includes comment by Saajeda Samaa from the Hazara community.
(2021-08-23). The imperialist farce of women's rights in Afghanistan. greenleft.org.au The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has generated an imperial nostalgia among liberal feminists.
(2021-08-23). Boris Johnson Will Plead With Biden To Delay Withdrawal, As Taliban Warn Not To Prolong It. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | UK Prime Minister plans to personally plead with Joe Biden to extend a deadline for US troops leaving Afghanistan to allow more people to flee the "reign of terror" of the Taliban. | The prime minister will use an emergency G7 summit of the world's most powerful leaders to appeal to the president to delay the August 31st deadline. | Biden signalled he could be willing to bow to demands for an extension, revealing discussions were already under way and saying he…
(2021-08-23). The Endless Shadow of the War on Terror. scheerpost.com 
U.S. Army soldiers patrol mountains in the Andar province of Afghanistan in 2007. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman / By Karen J. Greenberg / It ended in chaos and disaster. Kabul has fallen…
(2021-08-23). The Taliban's Resurgence Was Years in Making & Aided by Trump, Who Sidelined Afghan Gov't in Talks. democracynow.org 
Concern is growing over a broader humanitarian crisis across Afghanistan as people continue to crowd the Kabul airport to flee after the Taliban takeover of the country. The World Health Organization says about one-half of Afghanistan's population, including nearly 10 million children, already need humanitarian assistance, and the numbers are expected to soar as Afghanistan's economic crisis intensifies. The Taliban is now under intense pressure, says Emran Feroz, an Austro-Afghan journalist and author. "They know that any kind of Afghan state in future will be dependent on foreign money, which includes American…
(2021-08-23). Climate Emergency v. Afghanistan. zcomm.org Why do TV Cable News, Pols ignore the greatest Terror Threat to the US in History?>
(2021-08-23). Taliban Ready To Launch Offensive On Panjshir In Afghanistan. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The Taliban has besieged the pro-government forces located in the Afghan province of Panjshir, according to the official representative of the movement Zabihullah Mujahid. The claim was made a day after the Taliban
(2021-08-23). At Least Seven Afghan Civilians Killed on Sunday After Chaos at US 'Controlled' Kabul Airport. orinocotribune.com On Sunday, August 22, seven Afghan civilians died near the Kabul airport, as thousands of people—most of them were people who had collaborated with the US authorities in Afghanistan over the last two decades—tried to flee the country. According to information provided by the British Ministry of Defense, the incident took place when the Taliban fighters fired into the air to scare away people who were trying to enter the airport terminal, which led to a stampede. | Hours earlier, the Taliban forces had managed to organize the situation at the Kabul airport, where thousands of people waited to board a f…
(2021-08-23). As Kabul is Retaken, Papers Look Back in Erasure. orinocotribune.com 
By Gregory Shupak — Aug 19, 2021 | Corporate media coverage of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the collapse of the country's US-backed government has offered audiences more mystification than illumination. I looked at editorials in five major US dailies following the Taliban's retaking of Kabul: theBoston Globe, LA Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. The editorial boards of these papers consistently trivialized South Asian lives, erased US responsibility for lethal violence, and made untenable assertions about Washington's supposedly righteous motives in the war. |
(2021-08-23). What About the Women? America's Afghanistan Guilt. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-23). Afghan Security Forces Member Killed in Gunfight With 'Unknown' Assailants at Kabul Airport. sputniknews.com The identities of the assailants are still unknown. The incident took place on Monday at the North Gate of the Kabul Airport.
(2021-08-23). Headlines for August 23, 2021. democracynow.org Chaos and Desperation Reign at Kabul Airport as Afghans Try to Evacuate Taliban Takeover, Taliban Leader Arrives for Talks in Kabul as Afghans Demand Security and Jobs, U.S. Tops 1,000 Daily COVID-19 Deaths for First Time Since March, Sri Lanka Locks Down for 10 Days Amid Worst COVID-19 Surge of Pandemic, India and Taiwan Roll Out Domestically Produced COVID Vaccines Despite Lack of Trial Data, Death Toll from Tennessee Flash Floods Rises to 22; Hurricane Grace Kills at Least 8 in Mexico, More Than 50 Feared Dead After Boat Carrying Refugees Capsizes En Route to Canary Islands, UNICEF Says Fighting in Syria Is In…
(2021-08-23). Community mobilises to demand 20,000+ Afghan refugee visas. greenleft.org.au A huge rally demanded the federal government extend its humanitarian visa program for asylum seekers from Afghanistan and grant permanent protection to refugees on temporary visas. Alex Bainbridge reports.
(2021-08-23). Afghans call on Australia to match Canada's humanitarian visa offer. greenleft.org.au A huge rally for justice for Afghanistan called for at least 20,000 refugee visas and the immediate granting of permanent protection for thousands of Afghan refugees on temporary visas. Video and interviews by Alex Bainbridge.
(2021-08-23). 'Red Line': Taliban Warns of Consequences if US 'Occupation of Afghanistan' Extended. sputniknews.com The Taliban* seized power in Afghanistan on 15 August, when they captured the capital Kabul without a fight following a months-long offensive. The militants voiced a desire to have friendly relations with all countries, stressing that the Taliban "must be recognised" by the international community.
(2021-08-23). The Weekly Round-Up: Afghanistan, disability equality, and unregulated accommodation. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In the news: On 15 August the Taliban took control of Kabul, following the collapse of the Afghan government and its President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country. In a news conference, a Taliban spokesman said women would be allowed to work and have rights "within the framework of Islam". The Taliban also said it wanted …
(2021-08-23). Israel's Airstrikes in Syria are Not Newsworthy for Western Media. dissidentvoice.org 
FILE PHOTO: Damaged buildings are shown after what Syrian authorities said was an Israeli air strike in the western suburbs of Damascus © SANA/Handout via REUTERS Israel again illegally bombed Syria last week, violating Lebanese airspace to do so and putting at risk the lives of untold numbers of civilians. And following this, crickets in the …
(2021-08-23). Russian Warplanes Tirelessly Hit Militants In Syria's Idlib (Video, Photos). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | For the fifth day in a row, militants in Greater Idlib were waken up by airstrikes of Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). | On August 23, warplanes of the Russian VKS carried out a series of airstrikes targeting militant positions in the outskirts of the town of al-Bara in the al-Zawiya Mount region in the southern countryside of Idlib. | Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of Greater Idlib, and the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation maintain a large presence…
(2021-08-23). Military Situation In Syria On August 23, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On August 23, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 24 times: 9 — in Idlib province, 8 — in Latakia province, 4 — in Hama province, 3 — in Aleppo province | On August 23, a car bomb explosion was reported in the city of Azaz. seven people were wounded | On August 23, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in al-Barah | On August 22, US F-15E warplane reportedly shot down a drone flyin…
(2021-08-23). Car Bomb Explosion Rocked Town Of Azaz In Syria's Aleppo (Video). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On August 23rd, an explosion took place in the town of Aazaz, in the Syrian province of Aleppo. According to preliminary data, a car bomb explosion injured at least seven civilians. | The town of Azaz is under control of Turkish-backed militant groups, which operate in the northern part of Aleppo province. It regularly suffers from terrorist attacks carried out within "democratic competition" for power between Turkish proxies. |
(2021-08-23). Video: As Western Hegemony Declines, U.S. Attempts to Recreate Arab Spring in Asia. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-23). Learn From The East — A Major Lesson Of The Pandemic. popularresistance.org The world is now in the throes of another wave of Covid-19, with another surge in infections, sickness and deaths, this time due to the more infectious and apparently more lethal Delta variant. | Are there lessons to be learned from the previous waves of Covid-19 that might help us now? | There are, and they were evident long ago, but in the West, they have been largely ignored. Up to now, for example, the US has suffered over 617,000 deaths; China in contrast has suffered fewer than 5,000 deaths in a population four times as large as the US. Could there not be some lessons that might serve us in the West now and…
(2021-08-23). Counter Western bias against China by remembering Peter Norman's solidarity. mronline.org 
International media engaged in Sinophobic rhetoric during the recent Olympic games in Tokyo.
(2021-08-23). Lesser Evil Politics Assure Greater Evil Economics. dissidentvoice.org A new American president is presenting a program for renewal of human values in the marketplace unheard of since the 1930s but still projecting American military domination and environmental destruction far beyond the awareness of most Americans. Continued insistence that Russia and China are major global threats to everyone and not just American monopoly capitalists …
(2021-08-23). Venezuela: Satellites, Space Activities and the Anti-Imperialist Struggle. orinocotribune.com By Estevan Hernandez — Aug 17, 2021 | The following article was written following a Party for Socialism and Liberation delegation to the recently held Bicentennial Congress of the Peoples of the World held in Caracas, Venezuela. The delegation participated in a tour of the Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities center in Caracas (ABAE). | After much investment, determination, and assistance from other countries, particularly China, Venezuela now manages the Simon Bolivar, Miranda and Sucre satellites. The technological advancements and the space program are a massive achievement necessary for formerly-coloni…
(2021-08-23). US to create new Pacific fleet to deter China. indybay.org The US administration continues to take steps to contain China's influence. This time, the American side is considering the possibility of deploying a permanent group of national Navies in the Pacific Ocean.
(2021-08-23). How Russia-China are stage-managing the Taliban. zcomm.org What matters is that Russia-China are way ahead of the curve, cultivating parallel inside tracks of diplomatic dialogue with the Taliban…
(2021-08-23). Buffalo's Democratic Establishment Still Trying to Defeat Socialist India Walton. commondreams.org "Once again, Rep. Cuellar has made clear that his priorities are serving his corporate donors—not the people of South Texas," said Jessica Cisneros, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in Texas' 28th district.
(2021-08-23). India's Political Opposition Must Trust the People. zcomm.org That support for Narendra Modi as the best choice for the next prime minister has plummeted is a telling affirmation of the people's alertness to the objective status of the Union and of their stakes within it…
(2021-08-23). Surge in COVID deaths adds to pressure on Iran's clerical regime. wsws.org Saturday saw Iran's highest single-day COVID-19 death toll of the pandemic, as 684 people succumbed to the disease and more than 36,400 new cases were confirmed.
(2021-08-23). COVID-19-related deaths surge in Iran amid lack of vaccines. peoplesdispatch.org Iran is currently facing the fifth wave of COVID-19 pandemic, with many cases of the highly contagious Delta variant being reported. The country is facing problems importing the vaccines due to sanctions imposed by the US…
(2021-08-23). 'Extreme Weather' Ads Target Democrats Defending Fossil Fuel Subsidies. commondreams.org America's liberal imperialist doctrine has been responsible for appalling carnage in places like Vietnam, Iraq, and Central America. But America has also produced a liberal anti-imperialist doctrine that remains ensconced in a TV series that has been captivating US audiences since 1966.
(2021-08-23). Malaysian government implodes with COVID-19 epidemic out of control. wsws.org Malaysia has one of the highest infection rates and deaths per capita in the world, with total infections at more than 1.5 million and the death toll at more than 13,000.
(2021-08-23). Lingering Peculiarities: Slavery and Manumission in the Roman Empire. dissidentvoice.org The question does not bear asking, but in a global economy greased by what has been termed disposable people, the past's previous examples of the same may be a country worth visiting. The prod along for such a journey came with the discovery of yet another gem from the ruins of Pompeii. The news headlines …
(2021-08-23). Photo of sick Florida woman lying on the floor of treatment center goes viral as demand for COVID-19 antiviral treatment surges. wsws.org The widely circulated image produced shock and outrage as the state continues to grapple with an unprecedented spike in infections, hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus.
(2021-08-23). Turkey Expected To Order Another S-400 Missile Defense System. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | A new contract with Turkey on the delivery of Russian-made S-400 medium-to-long-range anti-aircraft missile systems may be signed soon. | This was claimed by the CEO of the state arms exporter Rosoboronexport (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) Alexander Mikheyev at the Army-2021 international military-technical forum on August 23rd."The consultations continue and are at the final stage. We will start formalizing a contract with our partners soon," the chief executive said. | Certain…