Deep Background on Afghanistan (G&R 105)

This weekend, we saw the Taliban seize Kabul ending the 20 year war and occupation of Afghanistan. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The sudden and dramatic Taliban gains came as the U.S. withdrew its ground troops from Afghanistan. Aid groups are warning of a humanitarian crisis unfolding. Since January, nearly 400,000 have been displaced. Over 1,000 civilians have been killed or injured in fighting over the past month. The images of U.S. helicopters flying over the U.S. embassy brought back memories of the April 1975 evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Saigon.  

Bob and Scott bring you a deep background on U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. We talked about several issues, including the interventions by the Cold War hawk administrations of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, the importance of resources like Rare Earth Minerals in the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and the "blowback" in Afghanistan of the U.S. funding of the mujahedin to fight the Soviets that led to the emergence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. As well as the costs of the war in Afghanistan since 2001. 

This is the second of three episodes focusing on the forever wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

More//

• VIDEO Blinken: This is not Saigon. (https://cnn.it/3k51OqC)
• Costs of the Afghanistan War, in Lives and Dollars (https://bit.ly/3svpFU5)
• Brown University: Costs of War.  (https://bit.ly/3y19rTI)
• Professor David Gibbs’ Publications on Afghanistan. (https://bit.ly/3D1nAEo)
• Why Biden was so set on withdrawing from Afghanistan (https://bit.ly/2XtfsvV)
• How the U.S. Got Involved in Afghanisgtan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGE3pQejpo4&t=10s)

More from Green and Red//

• Buzzanco (2001): Five reasons why America should not be at war (https://bit.ly/3mjjJfR)
• Green and Red on the anniversary of September 11th (https://bit.ly/911GandR)
• Green and Red on Cold War hawk Jimmy Carter (https://apple.co/3sucF0V)
• Buzzanco: Jimmy Carter is a Liberal Saint Now, Was a War Criminal Then….. (https://bit.ly/2R0cU5m)

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This is a Green and Red Podcast production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969).  “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.