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Written by Steve Brown exclusively for SouthFront
In an interview Thursday, analyst Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi of Tehran University discussed the sweeping victory of the Taliban, why the Taliban’s forces were largely unopposed by the Afghan Army subsequent to US departure of troops, and why the United States intentionally created chaos upon its withdrawal.
With a US withdrawal agreement already in place — negotiated months earlier between the US and the Taliban, and updated by the present regime, we’ve all been puzzled about the chaotic US military withdrawal. The result is a ringing triumph for the Taliban and an apparent stinging defeat for the United States. But is it?
Pepe Escobar’s ‘Empire of Chaos’ may provide historic background to such chaos, while Marandi provides depth to that meaning. According to Marandi, Iran has been negotiating with the Taliban about the future of the region for almost twenty years. Marandi’s article ‘Flight from Kabul and the Legacy of General Soleimani‘ explains that General Soleimani established Iran’s policy of negotiation with the Taliban. General Soleimani was assassinated by the United States in 2020.
Marandi believes that the Taliban has reformed over the years, based on its experience governing large areas of the country ever since the invasion and occupation of the country by the United States late in 2001, but says that opinion is divided in Iran on how reasonably (or not) the Taliban may rule.
Marandi says the Afghan National Army failed to fight due to agreements with Iran, China, and Russia through back-channels. That agreement promised a peaceful transition of power to the Taliban. The controversy concerns how much the CIA knew about such peace negotiations, and whether it was a failure of US intelligence that allowed this largely peaceful transition of power to occur. Regardless, the US-CIA has obviously been caught wrong-footed.
In response to the actions of Russia, China, and Iran, with regard to arranging the Taliban’s unopposed assumption of power in Afghanistan versus the Afghan National Army, the United States and CIA sought to create as much havoc as possible upon their retreat. The goal of such provoked havoc is identical to that of NSA chief Brzezinski’s thinking almost fifty years ago, when Brzezinski and the CIA engineered Operation Cyclone to provoke the Soviets.
In other words, by leaving Afghanistan in chaos, the intention of the United States is to provoke civil war there. Why? Because just as the CIA and NSA advisor planned almost fifty years ago, civil war in Afghanistan benefits US interests by destabilizing Afghanistan’s neighbors. Civil war in Afghanistan negatively impacts Russia, China, Iran, India and Pakistan; and that is what the United States wants. Likewise, such neighboring instability prevents humanitarian aid and progressive development of people, minerals, resources in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, when that development does not benefit US trade and corporate power. The Empire of Chaos indeed.
Now the CIA-owned western media is braying and screaming for civil war in Afghanistan, anew, to provoke world opinion in favor of more war and destruction there -to destabilize the entire region… since America can’t have it.
The Empire of Chaos indeed.
A brief commentary by Mr Marandi appears here and full version interview: LINK
Steve Brown is an author and editor on geopolitical strategy & conflicts; contributor to The Duran, Fort Russ News, Strategika51, Herland Report, Ron Paul Institute; twitter@newsypaperz
I believe Russia demonstrates that strategic patience in Syria as well. Some commenters jeer Mr. Putin for not using air defenses more aggressively or driving the Turks out of Syria but I think he knows very well the extent of American economic, fiscal, and monetary stupidity and how US foreign military adventures will soon be unsupportable. This will affect US support for Israeli aggression as well.
Ultimately, the US will abandon Israel in her greatest hour of need. Israel will then be annhilated by the axis.
Persia was a powerful ancient world empire, but its primary ancient world competitor, the Hellenic empire, was arguably more powerful and influential, spanning northern shores of Mediterranean all way to Alexandria. But point taken, a culture with a 2000 year heritage invariably learns a thing or two from past events about strategic-play.
what happens when the ‘settlers’ decide they want Syria and Iran? No one helps Palestine. Muslims have no defense if Palestine and Xinxiang have no defense. Looks like all humans can be bought. Sad
Well said. Regarding the internet warrior brigade, they are simply too ignorant to understand the strategic patience you have mentioned.
As far as hts is concerned, let them enjoy continuous airstrikes, artillery barrages, missile attacks, drone strikes, etc. They are being pummeled into the ground one day at a a time.
India is too insignificant for Amerikastan to destabilise. Even more so since its slave Modi is destabilising India all he can quite well enough already.
Well, that set the record straight. Marandi is a pro Tehran academic and Iran, Russia, China are all close to taliban and have been so for years. It also says that Taliban will take advice from its allies in the way it governs. I hope a powerful cohesive central Asian bloc forms to cement the US and NATO’s permanent departure from this region and then Iran can focus more powerfully on its axis of resistance to Remove the US and its ally israel permanently from West Asia. Economic help for taliban MUST come from its neighbours and allies, NOT from Gulf Puppets.
The US makes the same mistakes as all other European colonials before it – They are defeated by their racism – their belief i White Supremacy.
The US Gov. Empire of Chaos is birthed by satan.
The MG with huge shroud in pic, under arm of central guy in white, looks a US SAW. That huge shroud design kinda looks like something from an earlier era – like something sen on a WW2 naval deck gun.