If there was an anti-Nobel prize for World Peace, America should be taking it hands down. From destroying democratic leaders to benign monarchs, from upsetting peaceful countries to shattering the communism that tried to practice equity within their populations with what resources they could muster, America driven by greed, power hunger and a feeling of invincibility has tried to control from the mid twentieth century a world that was making its way in a manner that was not always good, but certainly better than when it applied its filthy hands to “improve” it.
Dwelling on their recent Afghan humiliation, I have wondered, given the plethora of avenues available to them, where the money came from, for the Taliban to have funded themselves for 20 years. No one addressed it until I read this article by Krishn Kaushik in the Indian Express. It clearly explains Taliban revenues and sources of their weapons and more importantly allows the reader to view between the lines where either America was directly involved, or turned a blind eye to situations that worked directly against its own interests (like happily scoring into their own goalpost). Who would do that? Only greedy narcissists, protective of their own corrupt ambitions oblivious of whom they killed or harmed in the process, even their own people. The American foreign policy and military decision makers whether Democrats or Republicans together with the ruthless military-industrial complex, are indeed exactly such a skewed bunch of narrow but powerful groups and individuals. To return to the sources of Taliban revenues, here is a summary of the author’s conclusions: 1. The drug trade, illegal mining, extortion-taxes and Persian Gulf donations have formed the bulk of the Taliban’s well managed revenues. 2. Their arms have been received from Pakistan (origin America), Iran (America’s sworn enemy), the Afghan government leaks ( 43% of it all - source, America) and the rest from the final abject surrender with American knowledge). 3. With ultra modern arms now in the hands of the Taliban, both friends and foes among its neighbours fear this tenuous situation. Pakistan with half of the Taliban inside its borders), China (for its rebellious Muslim Uyghur population in next door Xinjiang), Iran fearful of America bribing the Taliban to cause harm to it’s natural religious enemy, and of course India the traditional friend of governments in Kabul but enemies of fundamentalist groups like the Taliban who have supported proxies against it. Explained: How drugs funded the Taliban’s 20-year war with the US | Explained News,The Indian Express https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/taliban-opium-trade-afghanistan-government-7463591/ Roland. Toronto.
