It is clear that the United States has left Afghanistan wrecked after 40 years of interference and war. As goes with all wars waged by the U.S. and EU/NATO Axis of Domination, a major refugee crisis has ensued. As the U.S. Pentagon, mainstream media, and political elite whitewash military violence in Afghanistan by focusing on its “heroic” attempts to “save” Afghan people fleeing from destruction caused by the U.S. and EU/NATO militaries, it’s more important than ever to resist these narratives and engage in continued struggle within the imperial core.
While we clearly do not celebrate that the Taliban has taken power and remain critical of their ascension through conditions created by the U.S., as principled anti-imperialists who resist reactionary tendencies, there is much to remain optimistic about now that the Axis of Domination have finally fled the country.
We can be confident that this defeat will further expose the cracks in the facade of U.S. power and supremacy not only in Afghanistan but around the world. We can also expect that this defeat will lead to increased resistance to U.S. imperialism and renewed class struggle in other countries whose peoples have been ensnared in the clutches of Washington for far too long, like Iraq and Syria. We can also tackle with renewed energy the task of building a popular anti-war movement in the United States, something not seen in half a century.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we can be sure that this will be but one in a long series of nails in the coffin of the United States’ empire. We remain certain that through continued protest, resistance and struggle here in the “belly of the beast,” we will ultimately help to “turn imperialist wars into wars against imperialism” and build a new world where everyone can live with dignity and in peace.
More News and Analysis
Arundhati Roy on America’s fiery, brutal impotence
September 3, 2021 by Arundhati Royfor The Economist
The US leaves Afghanistan humiliated, but now faces bigger worries, from social polarisation to environmental collapse.
Afghan Women’s Frontline Resistance Against 20 Years of ‘Humanitarian Intervention’
October 1, 2021 by Alessandra Bajec for Toward Freedom
From U.S. military intervention to restored warlords and a resuscitated Taliban regime, Afghan women have never stopped fighting for their rights.
The Class Struggle in Afghanistan and its Future
August 26, 2021 by Rob Ashlar for Cosmonaut
In light of the Taliban’s consolidation of power in response to U.S. withdrawal, new beginnings for class struggle in Afghanistan can be expected.
Killing Modernity: How the US & Britain Destroyed the Afghan Left
October 5, 2021 with BreakThrough News and Vijay Prashad
A conversation about what happened to the other political forces, parties, and ideologies in Afghanistan aside from the Taliban.
The CIA’s View of Left Political Parties in Afghanistan, 1948-79
October 10, 2021 by T.J. Coles for CounterPunch
How strong was a left presence in Afghanistan before the CIA’s Operation Cyclone? Could secular anarchists, communists, and socialists have formed an alliance against hard-line Islamists?
Western Powers Strangle Ordinary Afghans with Economic Blockade
September 21, 2021 by Yanis Iqbal for Toward Freedom
Afghanistan faces universal poverty; up to 97 percent of the population could fall below the poverty line unless a response to its multiple crises is launched.
ICC’s Chief Prosecutor Proposes to Exclude US Troops from Ambit of Afghan War Crimes Probe
September 28, 2021 by People’s Dispatch
The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan said that he is seeking permission to open an investigation into human rights violations and war crimes in Afghanistan minus the involvement of US troops.
How the Pentagon Leaned on Hollywood to Sell the War in Afghanistan
September 28, 2021 by Alan Macleod for MintPress News
In hundreds of films and TV shows, every word and image has been scrutinized and signed off by senior military figures in an effort to convince viewers into supporting wars around the world.
Afghanistan Tackles the Islamic State
October 13, 2021 by Vijay Prashad for People’s Dispatch
All signs point to the fact that unlike the 1990s, the Taliban is not inclined to officially permit extremist groups to operate in Afghanistan.
Was America’s Longest War for Opium, Oil and Propping up the Stock Market?
October 15, 2021 by John Potash for Covertaction Magazine
An investigation which charts the history of CIA involvement in opium production in Afghanistan, heroin trafficking, and its impact on the Western financial system.
Why All Eyes Are on the Afghan-Tajikistan Border
October 5, 2021 by Vijay Prashad for Asia Times
While it is unlikely the Tajik military build-up along its border with Afghanistan will erupt into conflict, it is clear both sides are using the tension for their own ends.
Please visit BAP's Afghanistan resources page for its latest statements and fact sheets. Keep in touch on social media by following BAP on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Banner Photo: Taliban border fighters take part in an exercise after a training program in Helmand province in Afghanistan on Oct. 25. (Abdul Khaliq/AP)