The enemy of my enemy . . .

[AndyS]

The Taliban needs US and world support to get access to frozen assets. ISIS-K is an enemy to the Taliban and since they had the poor foresight to attack the US is now the enemy of the US.

Joe Biden has declared vengeance (at least one step worse than war) on ISIS-K.

Taliban has on-the-ground intelligence and targeting. US has drones. (and access to frozen funds)

Is it crazy to speculate an alliance between the US and the Taliban on any number of issues now that the door of vengeance is open?

Strange bedfellows indeed.

[Irish_Dem]

1. The US has a long history of becoming best buddies with its enemies. So yes, it is likely.

[AndyS]

3. The ironic part is that after 20 years of blood and treasure

the US may have more influence over the evolution of Afghanistan through this incestuous relationship than any of the other empires that died there.

[Irish_Dem]

6. This would have been a better strategy in the first place.

China is starting off with incestuous and transactional. No war.
It is a winning strategy with the Taliban.

[PortTack]

2. Here's some valuable insight

[AndyS]

4. Ya' know, for just another guy like me who has a few miles on 'im

he makes a lot of sense. I don't usually pay attention to amateur talking heads (like me) but maybe I'll pay more attention to him in the future. The Liberal Redneck in more entertainment that elucidation and we all have to be careful of confirmation bias but Bo (Beau?) puts context with his opinion.

[FM123]

5. Interesting video.

Yes, removing future dissidents from the taliban defacto government helps THEM as much as folks getting safe passage out helps us.

[dreamland]

7. It's diabolical to think so, but could ISIS-K be a secret extension of the Taliba

Could it be possible that the Taliban created ISIS K in order to garner sympathy and cooperation from other countries such as the US in order to get to their frozen assets? A little paranoia here but why trust the Taliban?

[AndyS]

8. Naaa. Afghanistan has always been a herd of cats.

Just a loosely associated bunch of warlords vying for territory with each other. The only thing that brings them together is a common enemy like some outside country. There has been an illusion of centralized government but the countryside hasn't recognized or taken part in it. That's why it's the graveyard of empires. Going to war in that 'country' is like fighting jello.

Ask England and Russia.

[dreamland]

10. Makes sense, so there will be no cohesion of factions, I guess.

[stillcool]

9. I don't know how anyone in that region

can determine who is the enemy and who is the friend, for any length of time.
Afghanistan page-- https://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_page.html
it's interesting that we in this country are experiencing what the U.S. has done in other countries, by installing governments that play well with business interests, and fuck over the people. The chickens have indeed come home to roost.

[AndyS]

11. Ya' think we'd learn??? Korea, Vietnam and now Afghanistan.

Care to add more like Iran, Iraq and stupidistan?

[stillcool]

12. must work...

for a while. They've been doing it mostly on the q.t. for a long time. Pump and dump gets the big bucks

"I spent thirty-three years in the Marines, most of my time being a hlgh class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.
I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1910-1912. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City [Bank] boys to collect revenue in. I helped in the rape of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.
In China in 1927 l helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.
I had a swell racket. l was rewarded with honors, medals, promotions. l might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate a racket in three city districts. The Marines operated on three continents."
General Smedley Butler, former US Marine Corps Commandant, 1935