Podcast appearances and mentions of Hamid Karzai

In this episode of One Decision, hosts Christina Ruffini and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's MI6, sit down with General Stanley McChrystal, a retired United States Army General who was the leader of the Joint Special Operations Command during the war in Iraq. McChrystal and Dearlove reflect on the war in Iraq and share stories of meeting and working with former Afghan President, Hamid Karzai. They also discuss Israeli foreign policy amid the war in Gaza and explore the significance of character in a world leader. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran.

Good evening.  To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our Armed Services, and to my fellow Americans:  I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan -- the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion.  It's an extraordinary honor for me to do so here at West Point -- where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.To address these important issues, it's important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place.  We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, 19 men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people.  They struck at our military and economic nerve centers.  They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station.  Were it not for the heroic actions of passengers onboard one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.As we know, these men belonged to al Qaeda -- a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world's great religions, to justify the slaughter of innocents. Al Qaeda's base of operations was in Afghanistan, where they were harbored by the Taliban -- a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere.Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them -- an authorization that continues to this day.  The vote in the Senate was 98 to nothing.  The vote in the House was 420 to 1.  For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 -- the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all.  And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks.  America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda's terrorist network and to protect our common security.Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy -- and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden -- we sent our troops into Afghanistan.  Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed.  The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels.  A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope.  At a conference convened by the U.N., a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai.  And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war, in Iraq.  The wrenching debate over the Iraq war is well-known and need not be repeated here.  It's enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq war drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention -- and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world.Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end.  We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011.  That we are doing so is a testament to the character of the men and women in uniform.  (Applause.)  Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance, we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people. But while we've achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated.  After escaping across the border into Pakistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaeda's leadership established a safe haven there.  Although a legitimate government was elected by the Afghan people, it's been hampered by corruption, the drug trade, an under-developed economy, and insufficient security forces. Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government.  Gradually, the Taliban has begun to control additional swaths of territory in Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating attacks of terrorism against the Pakistani people.Now, throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were in Iraq.  When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war.  Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive.  And that's why, shortly after taking office, I approved a longstanding request for more troops.  After consultations with our allies, I then announced a strategy recognizing the fundamental connection between our war effort in Afghanistan and the extremist safe havens in Pakistan.  I set a goal that was narrowly defined as disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies, and pledged to better coordinate our military and civilian efforts. Since then, we've made progress on some important objectives.  High-ranking al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed, and we've stepped up the pressure on al Qaeda worldwide. In Pakistan, that nation's army has gone on its largest offensive in years.  In Afghanistan, we and our allies prevented the Taliban from stopping a presidential election, and -- although it was marred by fraud -- that election produced a government that is consistent with Afghanistan's laws and constitution.Yet huge challenges remain.  Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards.  There's no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum.  Al Qaeda has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe havens along the border.  And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan security forces and better secure the population.  Our new commander in Afghanistan -- General McChrystal -- has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated.  In short:  The status quo is not sustainable. As cadets, you volunteered for service during this time of danger.  Some of you fought in Afghanistan.  Some of you will deploy there.  As your Commander-in-Chief, I owe you a mission that is clearly defined, and worthy of your service.  And that's why, after the Afghan voting was completed, I insisted on a thorough review of our strategy.  Now, let me be clear:  There has never been an option before me that called for troop deployments before 2010, so there has been no delay or denial of resources necessary for the conduct of the war during this review period.  Instead, the review has allowed me to ask the hard questions, and to explore all the different options, along with my national security team, our military and civilian leadership in Afghanistan, and our key partners.  And given the stakes involved, I owed the American people -- and our troops -- no less. This review is now complete.  And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan.  After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home.  These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.  I do not make this decision lightly.  I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions.  We have been at war now for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources.  Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort.  And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home. Most of all, I know that this decision asks even more of you -- a military that, along with your families, has already borne the heaviest of all burdens.  As President, I have signed a letter of condolence to the family of each American who gives their life in these wars.  I have read the letters from the parents and spouses of those who deployed.  I visited our courageous wounded warriors at Walter Reed.  I've traveled to Dover to meet the flag-draped caskets of 18 Americans returning home to their final resting place.  I see firsthand the terrible wages of war.  If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow. So, no, I do not make this decision lightly.  I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  This is the epicenter of violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda.  It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak.  This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat.  In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror. And this danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity.  We must

After a watershed moment for Kamala Harris at potentially her only debate with Donald Trump, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy appraises her performance and warns his party is ignoring something critical. Then, in his first exit interview, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg talks triumphs and regrets after ten years at the top of the world's largest military alliance. Plus, Filmmaker Pamela Yates and activist Gabriela Castañeda talk about their new film “Borderland” which exposes the secret infrastructure within the US that could be laying the ground for mass deportations. In the Amanpour Archive, an interview in Kandahar, and by lamplight, with Hamid Karzai after he had united Afghanistan against the Taliban in 2001.  And Finally – “Slave Play” Playwright Jeremy O. Harris tells Christiane Amanpour that current theater prices are “unsustainable” and what he's doing to change it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Adela Raz discuss the humanitarian catastrophe and systemic human rights abuses under Taliban rule, the lessons and consequences of the collapse of the Afghanistan Republic, and the future of Afghanistan and its diaspora. Join former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States, Adela Raz, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they reflect on the geostrategic consequences of the 2021 collapse of Afghanistan. Ambassador Raz shares her insights on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the humanitarian catastrophe and systemic human rights abuses currently facing the country, the Taliban's repressive control over women, and her hope for the future of Afghanistan and its diaspora. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Adela Raz served as the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States from July 2021 to February 2022. Ambassador Raz was first woman to hold the post of Deputy Chief of Staff for an Afghan president's administrative office. She served in this post both in President Hamid Karzai's Administration and in President Ashraf Ghani's. She was the Deputy Minister for Economic Cooperation at Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2018. From 2018 to July of 2021, Raz served as Afghanistan's first female Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, where she was the Vice President of the 75th session of the General Assembly. Since 2022, Raz has served as the director of the Afghanistan Policy Lab at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Ambassador Raz has a Master's degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Trae Stephens is the co-founder and executive chairman of Anduril, and partner at Founder's Fund.  After fighting his way into Georgetown University, Trae began his career working in Congressman Rob Portman's office and at the Embassy of Afghanistan to the United States.  He went on to work at Palantir and then found defense tech juggernaut Anduril, which raised a $1.5B fundraising round at a $14B valuation this month. In this episode, Trae shares his unconventional journey from rural Ohio to Silicon Valley. Starting with his determination to attend Georgetown, Trae's career has been defined by a commitment to public service and innovation. While in college, his work at the Afghan embassy during its post-Taliban reopening provided early insights into the challenges of modernizing DOD protocols, discovering the need for a company like Palantir. Trae's move to Palantir marked his entry into tech, where he navigated the complexities of selling software to the government. This experience laid the groundwork for his co-founding of Anduril and his work as a partner at Founder's Fund. Trae discusses the importance of mission-driven work, the challenges of navigating government procurement, and his experiences rapidly scaling the new era of defense companies. His story is a testament to the impact of combining technological innovation with a deep sense of purpose. This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Josh Pickering.   Full Bio: Trae is a Partner at Founders Fund. He is also Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Anduril Industries, a defense technology company focused on autonomous systems, and Co-founder of Sol, a next generation wearable e-reader. Previously, Trae was an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he led teams focused on growth in the intelligence/defense space as well as international expansion, helping large organizations solve their hardest data analysis problems. He was also an integral part of the product team, leading the design and strategy for new product offerings. While at Palantir, Trae also served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University. Prior to Palantir, Trae worked as a computational linguist building enterprise solutions to Arabic/Persian name matching and data enrichment within the United States Intelligence community. He began his career working in the office of then Congressman Rob Portman and in the Political Affairs Office at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. immediately following the installation of Hamid Karzai's transitional government. Trae graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Here are some major historical events that occurred on December 22:1807: The Embargo Act, which aimed to force Britain and France to respect American trading rights during the Napoleonic Wars, was signed into law by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.1851: The first YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) in North America was established in Montreal, Canada.1885: Ito Hirobumi, a Japanese statesman, became the first Prime Minister of Japan.1942: World War II: The Siege of Bastogne began during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium.1989: Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of the division between East and West Germany, was reopened after nearly 30 years.2001: Richard Reid attempted to detonate explosives in his shoes on American Airlines Flight 63, but was subdued by passengers and flight attendants2001: Hamid Karzai was sworn in as the interim leader of Afghanistan, marking the official transition to a new government after the fall of the Taliban.2008: An ash dike ruptured at a solid waste containment area in Kingston, Tennessee, releasing 5.4 million cubic yards of coal fly ash slurry. It was one of the largest environmental disasters of its kind in the United States.These events span a range of historical periods and regions, highlighting the diversity of occurrences on December 22 throughout history.Podcast Website:https://atozenglishpodcast.com/a-to-z-this-day-in-world-history-december-22nd/Social Media:WeChat account ID: atozenglishpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/671098974684413/Tik Tok:@atozenglish1Instagram:@atozenglish22Twitter:@atozenglish22A to Z Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/theatozenglishpodcastCheck out our You Tube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCds7JR-5dbarBfas4Ve4h8ADonate to the show: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/9472af5c-8580-45e1-b0dd-ff211db08a90/donationsRobin and Jack started a new You Tube channel called English Word Master. You can check it out here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2aXaXaMY4P2VhVaEre5w7ABecome a member of Podchaser and leave a positive review!https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-a-to-z-english-podcast-4779670Join our Whatsapp group: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Intro/Outro Music: Daybird by Broke for Freehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Directionless_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Directionless_EP_-_03_Day_Bird/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcodehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Joplin/Piano_Rolls_from_archiveorg/ScottJoplin-RagtimeDance1906/https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As a pilot in the initial wave of women to fly modern combat aircraft, Erin “Aero” Orga actually grew up dreaming of being either a professional roller coaster rider, Olympic figure skater or an astronaut for NASA.  Her passion for air and space finally won out and she attended the University of Notre Dame on an Air Force ROTC scholarship, where she graduated as one of only two females in her class with a degree in aerospace engineering.  Aero was also a distinguished graduate out of AFROTC and was awarded a highly coveted Air Force pilot training slot.  During her initial training at Columbus Air Force Base, Aero was ranked high enough in her class to earn the right to track select into fighters and she was eventually chosen to fly her favorite fighter aircraft, the F-15E Strike Eagle.   During her 10 years in the Air Force, Aero flew over 50 combat missions in Iraq, where she provided air cover for the US Army and Marine units on the ground in places like Bagdad, Fallujah, and Mosul.  She also provided air cover for the first democratic Iraqi elections and the second inauguration ceremony of Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan.  When she wasn't flying F-15Es, Aero spent time as a T-38 instructor, training many young Air Force pilots who would go on to fly fighter jets.   Aero eventually left the military to focus on her family and her newborn son.  She moved back to her hometown of Pittsburgh and began working as a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program Manager for Westinghouse Electric, a nuclear engineering company.  During her time at Westinghouse, Aero has run global teams of engineers delivering successful projects in the US, the UK, Canada, India, and China, with many of those projects valued at over $100 million and is currently managing the design and testing of a brand-new type of nuclear microreactor.   In addition to her professional careers, Aero has devoted over 15 years to training in Tae Kwon Do, in which she holds a third-degree black belt.

Barack Hussein Obama, mannen som många hoppades skulle bli "fredspresidenten" när han valdes, bombade sju länder - bara under sina första sex år som president. Obama valdes 2009 delvis på grund av sitt motstånd mot Irakkriget och tilldelades Nobels fredspris efter att han tillträtt sitt ämbete. Det förmodligen "optimistiska" beslut som fattades av den norska Nobelkommittén fattades bara nio månader in i hans presidentskap... Vi skulle naturligtvis hävda att det så kallade fredspriset inte är något annat än en mekanism för kontroll av den allmänna uppfattningen. Det är egentligen bara en fråga om att titta på listan över mottagare genom åren och man kan ganska lätt se att det inte alls handlar om att främja fred. I själva verket är det raka motsatsen. I Obamas berömda "A New Beginning"-tal i Kairo förklarade presidenten att han sökte en nystart "mellan USA och muslimer runt om i världen", vilket ökade förhoppningarna om att han skulle bli motgiftet till George W. Bushs "kontroversiella" mandatperiod. Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) uppskattar att Obama-administrationen har genomfört mer än 390 drönarattacker under fem år i Pakistan, Jemen och Somalia - åtta gånger så många som godkändes under hela Bushs presidentperiod. Afghanistans president Hamid Karzai använde sitt avskedstal för att en sista gång protestera mot de amerikanska angreppen. Karzai, den ende president Afghanistan haft sedan den USA-ledda invasionen 2001, sade att Washington hade velat ha krig i Afghanistan "på grund av sina egna intressen". "Kriget i Afghanistan är till fördel för utlänningar", sade han i sitt tal. "Men afghaner på båda sidor är offerlamm och offer." Att lista alla de fruktansvärda handlingar som begåtts under Obamas presidentskap skulle ta ganska lång tid, och vi måste hålla detta kort. Sammanfattningsvis - sedan Obama fick det så kallade "fredspriset" började han bomba: Afghanistan. Pakistan. Libyen. Jemen. Somalia. Irak och Syrien. Hans så kallade "skandalfria" ordförandeskap - är förmodligen bara en fråga om vad allmänheten faktiskt har lärt sig hittills. Den allmänna opinionen styrdes fortfarande i hög grad av det så kallade "kriget mot terrorismen", och folket såg inte vad som egentligen pågick. Låt oss bara säga att det finns mycket mer än bara skelett i Obamas garderob, och hans dolda homosexualitet - kommer att vara det minsta av hans problem. Fråga dig själv detta, vem visste var "kropparna var begravda" ? Vem ledde den nationella underrättelsetjänsten under Obama? Vad gjorde den djupa staten med honom? Vad exakt är Donald Trump ett hot mot? Träsket är djupt och brett - och gammalt! Vad måste hända för att allmänheten ska förstå hur korrupt hela systemet är? De måste se det själva. Man skulle till och med kunna säga att framtiden - kommer att bevisa det förflutna. Stöd oss: SWISH: 0761-182568 (Mottagare: Caroline) PATREON: https://patreon.com/defria_se HEMSIDA: https://defria.se FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/defria.se

We sit down with best-selling author and former senior writer for Army Times, Sean Naylor, to discuss his experiences covering conflicts in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Naylor shares stories of meeting with Hamid Karzai and embedding with various military units, including special forces and cavalry squadrons. He also talks about the challenges of reporting on a secret organization like Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which he wrote about in his book "Relentless Strike." Naylor's insight into these complex topics creates an informative and captivating conversation. Main Takeaways The High Side Hamid Karzai  Afghanistan Not A Good Day To Die Relentless Strike Follow Sean Naylor: https://twitter.com/SeanDNaylor https://thehighside.substack.com/ This episode is sponsored by 4 Patriots, a survival food company. You can visit ⁠⁠www.4patriots.com⁠⁠ and use the code RECON for 10% off your first purchase.  Connect With John Hendricks ⁠⁠www.globalrecon.net⁠⁠ ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/igrecon ⁠⁠ Music provided by Caspian: ⁠⁠www.caspian.band --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/globalrecon/support

Package made from “NATO's Afghanistan Commitment” in the B-roll section about NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visiting with Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai and International Security Assistance Force Commander McChrystal during a visit to Kabul, Afghanistan to emphasize international commitment to development, security and governance. Hosted by Ruth Owen. This version has title graphics and a voiceover.

Footage includes: soundbites from Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the anti-corruption conference, vox pops from the streets of Kabul and various shots of troops interacting with the ANSF and local Afghans.Produced by Mel Green.

This edition features a story on how Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced security transitions throughout Afghanistan. Also, Army Sgt. Sarah Goss tells us how communities came together to save one little girl. Sound bite includes Lt. Col. John Newman - Operation Outreach Volunteer, Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind. Produced by Sgt. Sarah Goss and Hosted by Lance Cpl. Benjamin Harris.

In December 2001, Afghan delegates convened in Bonn, Germany, by the United Nations selected Hamid Karzai to serve as head of an interim national government, marking the beginning of post-Taliban governance. Nine years later, in late 2010, secret negotiations began between a Taliban representative and some U.S. officials. The talks centered largely on confidence-building measures, specifically the issues of a prisoner exchange and the opening of a Taliban political office in Doha, Qatar. In mid-2018, President Trump was reportedly frustrated with the lack of military progress against the Taliban, and he ordered formal and direct U.S.-Taliban talks without Afghan government participation. On April 14, 2021, President Biden announced that the United States would begin a “final withdrawal” on May 1, to be completed by September 11, 2021

By Major Fred Galvin (USMC-Ret) My new book, A Few Bad Men, details the mendacity and mad dishonesty of retired Marine General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. The fact that it was written by a Marine once under his command, whom he betrayed for the sake of politics and getting to slap on another star, says volumes about this once-lionized figure. It all goes back to an incident in Afghanistan in 2007, and the Court of Inquiry trial of innocent Marines that followed, which Mattis himself instigated. Lt. Colonel Steve Morgan, USMC (retired) and jury member of the 2008 Marine Special Operations Command's Court of Inquiry says in the foreword to A Few Bad Men, “This is a case of a perfect storm of toxic leadership.”  The most legendary Marine of all time, Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune, the 13th commandant of the Marine Corps, laid out clearly how to effectively nurture and lead Marines: “Make every effort by means of historical, educational, and patriotic addresses to cultivate in their hearts a deep abiding love of the Corps and Country” and “the key to combat effectiveness is unity and esprit that characterizes itself in complete irrevocable mutual trust.”  If only General Mattis had taken this to heart. On February 3, 2005, when Lieutenant General Mattis was attending the Armed Forces Communications and Electronic Associations forum in San Diego, he said: “You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling.”  He also likes hearing the sound of his own voice. During this same time, Mattis partnered with General David Petraeus to develop the joint counterinsurgency doctrine of winning hearts and minds. Mattis hijacked the phrase from the Hippocratic oath for his Marines to follow, “First do no harm.” This sounded good to the media and politicians in Washington, but Marines are not physicians and Afghanistan was no sterile operating room. It was a hellscape in which Marines constantly faced threats and the possibility of betrayal from 360 degrees. Mattis' Marine Hippocratic oath sent mixed signals for his Marines, who had it on his good authority that “It's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot . . . some people.”   Just over two years later, I led the First Marine Special Operations Task Force. We landed in Afghanistan on February 12, 2007. Before long the First was involved in a complex ambush near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, on March 4, 2007. We were attacked by a suicide car-bomb, waves of Taliban fighters on both sides of the road, a sniper, and a mob that placed an obstacle to trap us in an ambush kill box. We  successfully counterattacked, killed the Taliban terrorists, avoided civilian casualties, and returned to base within 20 minutes, where we learned of the Taliban's swift information operations campaign that was already underway, accusing us of mass-murdering Afghan civilians. The Taliban's version of events went out within 20 minutes through the BBC followed by countless others. Ultimately, the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, condemned our actions and the Army generals kicked us out of Afghanistan within five days. Crushing the Taliban in battle morphed into a PR victory for the extremists in the media and a weakening of the allied forces in country. Due process went right out the window. Ironically, Mattis was assigned as the convening authority by the commandant of the Marine Corps in August 2007, to be responsible for the investigation and a Court of Inquiry into our March 4 battle. Mattis received the results of my polygraph test and the sworn testimony of all the Marines involved in the firefight, confirming that on that morning no Marines said they killed any civilians or saw any civilians killed.  Unlike Lejeune's comments of “cultivating a deep abiding love of Country and Corps in the hearts of your Marines and that the key to combat effectiveness is unity and esprit that characterizes itself in complete irrevocable mutual trust,” Mattis unleashed an unprecedented 45 criminal investigators and four prosecuting attorneys against the seven Marines falsely accused by the Taliban of mass murder. It would become the longest war crimes trial in Marine Corps history.  Mattis placed a “protective order” (a.k.a. gag order) prohibiting the two Marine officers who he named as codefendants from making any statements to the press or face punishment. Our attorneys would face disbarment. The already unlevel playing field was tilted hard against the Marines who had won a battlefield victory under fire. Additionally, Mattis' prosecution team found perceived vulnerabilities in the Marine commandos and commenced “ethnic targeting” of two Hispanic Marines. Mad Dog's prosecutors continuously interrogated one of them, and the government manufactured a statement from him that our fire was out of control during the March 4 ambush.  The prosecution then threatened to deport the Marine's mother back to Mexico unless he signed the statement. That Marine testified he was coerced into signing the prosecution's false statement. Another Hispanic Marine also testified he was repeatedly threatened by the prosecution to take a polygraph, which was not a legal order, but the prosecution ordered him to anyway. None of the other Marines were subjected to these strongarm Gestapo tactics. Mattis turned the prosecution over to his successor in the fall of 2007 as he received his promotion with a fourth star. The following year, the trial acquitted all of us. No thanks to Mad Dog Mattis. He got his star. A few bad prosecutors under his watch cost the Marines a few good men, and diminished America's position in Afghanistan at a time when that war might still have been won. Mattis went on to serve as the commander of all U.S. Forces in the Middle East at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida. As I detail in A Few Bad Men, there he came under the influence of Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of Theranos. Holmes had a device she claimed could detect all kinds of disease in a few drops of blood. It would change the world, if it worked. Holmes contacted Mattis in August 2012 and wrote Pentagon officials requesting, “How do we overcome this new obstacle? I have tried to get this device tested in theater asap, legally and ethically. This appears to be relatively straight-forward yet we're a year into this and not yet deployed.”  The main problem Mattis was willing to overlook was that the FDA had not approved Theranos' blood testing technology to be used on our troops in Afghanistan, but Mattis was hoping he could push it through, right or wrong.  Mattis retired and went on to make a fortune serving on four corporate boards, including Theranos and military contractor General Dynamics. Theranos' technology would not only be denied FDA approval, but it was proven to be a fraud. During the Elizabeth Holmes trial, Mattis, who had served as a Theranos board member for several years, testified that he was unaware of any of Theranos' scandalous actions. This seems unlikely, given Mad Dog's legendary tenacity, and the fact that he had a fiduciary duty to know what was going on. Holmes' device never worked. She is now a convicted fraudster. Was Mattis her gullible mark or a greedy participant? Mattis' disgraceful actions are laid bare in A Few Bad Men. He used his position as secretary of defense to bottle up the Freedom of Information Act requests to get our testimony in that March 4, 2007 ambush exposed. Our shocking testimonies have now been released and tell a terrible story of betrayal by a Marine against other Marines. They reveal why the Pentagon's top-brass generals who burned the careers of subordinates but then pivoted to lucrative careers with every defense contracting company lost their forever war in Afghanistan, and really, haven't won a war in decades.

It's been a year since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Taliban's takeover of the country. Since then, the lives of many Afghans, especially women and girls, have been destroyed. Under Taliban rule, human rights violations continue to mount, while the country reaches economic collapse. In this episode, Dean Amaney Jamal discusses the current situation in Afghanistan — and what hope remains ahead — with Amb. Adela Raz, director of the Afghanistan Policy Lab at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Amb. Raz was the first female permanent representative and ambassador of Afghanistan to the U.S. She's also served as deputy minister for economic cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as the first female deputy spokesperson and director of communications for President Hamid Karzai. 

In this edition of #ThePrintUninterrupted, ThePrint's Senior Consulting Editor Jyoti Malhotra speaks to former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai in his home in Kabul on why was so upset that India left Afghanistan last year when the Taliban rolled in, on the Taliban completing one year in power, why Afghanistan remains the greatest victim of terrorism & how Pakistan deliberately undermines Afghanistan's stability.

Afghanistan has been through many decades of civil war and hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in those years of conflict. Now much of the population is facing extreme hunger. The World Bank has warned that more than a third of Afghans no longer have enough money to feed themselves. The country's economy was dependent on foreign grants that were cut off after the Taliban takeover and there are rising concern over their policies on women and girls. The BBC's Afghanistan correspondent Secunder Kermani also reports from Kabul and Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Afghanistan's former president Hamid Karzai. (Image Credits:EPA/JALIL REZAYEE)

In this episode: WW3, food shortages, NSA surveillance, and more sources listed below The US government talks about supporting democracy and human rights. The next war is necessary because there is an evil dictator we need to remove to help the people of that country. Well, nothing is further from the truth. The US has never been involved in a "just" war. Some might say WW2 was a "just" war. To those I say PLEASE watch the documentary series by Oliver Stone titled The Untold History of The United States. Free on Youtube. Link Below The reason we went to war in Afghanistan, natural gas. The war was to clear the path for the TAPI pipeline. Turkmenistan is directly north of Afghanistan. "The BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2020 indicates that Turkmenistan has 600 million barrels of proven oil reserves and 19.5 trillion cubic meters in proven reserves of natural gas. Oct 15, 2020". The originator of the pipeline Hamid Karzai advised RAND (think tank for the pentagon) on the pipeline in 1997/98. The US then appointed him interim president of Afghanistan in December 2001. The US military was in Afghanistan for 20 years and the country is worse off now. Afghanistan ONLY became the worlds leading producer of opium AFTER the US military arrived on the scene. For those that do not know, the CIA has a long history of funding itself by drug smuggling. This was exposed by reporter Gary Webb from the San Jose Mercury News, in his book Dark Alliance.  Gary broke the story that the CIA was smuggling cocaine into The US to fund an illegal war in Nicaragua. They would then distribute the cocaine throughout The US, to be sold to US citizens. This operation was conducted by Vice President George Bush while Ronald Reagan was president. Just say no to drugs was Reagans famous line (pun intended) as he oversaw planeloads of coke smuggled into the US. The story broke when a CIA plane full of weapons was shot down over Nicaragua.  Guess where they landed the planes? Mena Arkansas, enter Bill Clinton. Ever wonder how a scandal ridden no name governor from the poorest state in the entire country rose to prominence? He did business with the Bush Crime family, that's how. Thanks listeners Oliver Stone 1of2 :Japan -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoZsERPRqII Oliver Stone: Untold History of the United States -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A80i9oWC26c&t=147s Map of TAPI pipeline -  https://alburaaqnews.com/2018/02/23/tapi-gas-pipeline-project-in-turkmenistan/ TAPI Pipeline and Geo Politics -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8opcXo9CaQ Hamid Karzai -  https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Hamid_Karzai Troops Guard Dope -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW2YWqVpT4E Mena Arkansas -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8al708m4_zM&list=PLfiXRBAe1hXkp5I83UCXHBmbC9U7jT-nG&index=225&t=2097s --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/andanotherthingwithdave/message

Organisations across Australia marked the14th anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations - Australians still in Ukraine urged to leave the country - Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai has urged the United States to return his country's assets.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://afghannewswire.com/2022/02/05/tolo-news-interview-with-former-president-hamid-karzai/

Hamid Karzai served as President of Afghanistan from 2001 until 2014. Karzai's presidency spanned the lion's share of the 20 year-long US-led intervention in Afghanistan. Though Karzai often frustrated American leadership, my guest today claims that the Americans made many mistakes in their dealings with Karzai. That guest would know, too; he is Ronald Neumann, who served as US Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 until 2007 under President George W. Bush.  He is a friend of Karzai's, and he is the now president of the American Academy of Diplomacy in Washington, D.C. (@acadofdiplomacy on Twitter).

Another chance to hear from some of the BBC's acclaimed series examining the seismic events shaping Afghanistan before and after this year's return to power of the Taliban. After last week's episode featuring Taliban founder Mullah Zaeef and former President Hamid Karzai, the BBC's chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, hears from a younger generation. Shaharzad Akbar was raised in a refugee camp in Pakistan in the 1990s, became the first Afghan woman to get a degree at Oxford University, and went on to run the country's Human Rights Commission. Arson Fahim and Meena Karimi are both gifted composers with no memory of life before the advent of a US-backed democracy in the country. All see their lives shaped by it, and all three have had to flee Kabul since the Taliban took over. What now for the dreams they cherished? Hear the whole series at bbcworldservice.com/afghanistan

A chance to hear once again from the BBC's acclaimed series examining the seismic events shaping Afghanistan before and after this year's return to power of the Taliban. The BBC's chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, hears from two key players who have shaped the country's recent history: Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, a former Afghan diplomat and co-founder of the Taliban movement; and Hamid Karzai, the country's first elected president. Both talk in detail about the events that shaped their lives, their thinking and what they make of the collapse of the US-backed government in the country. Hear the whole series at bbcworldservice.com/afghanistan

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://afghannewswire.com/2021/12/20/hamid-karzai-lambasts-pakistans-propaganda/

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://afghannewswire.com/2021/12/20/hamid-karzai-invited-taliban-to-kabul/

Ronie Berggren uppdaterar om de senaste händelserna i Afghanistan: Afghanistans bankssystem kan kollapsa; Saffran - en liten ljusglimt för den afghanska ekonomin; Hundra soldater från den demokratiska regeringen har mördats av talibanerna; Talibanerna vill inte längre tvinga kvinnor till giftemål; Ashraf Ghani får inte blanda sig i afghansk politik från Förenade arabemiraten; Hamid Karzai vill att talibanerna betraktas som bröder för att utveckla landet; Fattigdom präglar den av talibanerna övertagna Panshjirdalen; Fortsatt flykt till Iran och repatriering från Iran; Eldstrid mellan talibaner och iranska gränsstyrkor; Magda Gad gästar Svt om sin tid i Afghanistan. ------- STÖD AMERIKANSKA NYHETSANALYSER: http://usapol.blogspot.com/p/stod-oss-support-us.html

Many Afghans are still trying to escape their country after the Taliban took over in August but few are as threatened as women judges. In 2009 the Elimination of Violence Against women was signed by then President Hamid KarzaI and in the years that followed, courts led by female judges opened in provinces around the country, enforcing laws protecting women from violence and abuse. Since the Taliban opened the prisons, many of those jailed are now free and threatening the lives of the women who locked them up. Now, the chaos that followed the Western exit from Afghanistan has made it that much more difficult for the women to escape.  Today on the Take we hear their stories and the plight of the international legal community trying to get them out.

On this week's Richard Crouse Show Podcast we get to know Hilary Brown, author of the new book War Tourist, available now on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel. In a career that spanned almost four decades, she was ABC's first female foreign correspondent, and reported from every continent except Antarctica. TVO's “The Agenda” called her “Canada's best-ever female foreign correspondent.” She was one of the last journalists to be lifted by helicopter from the roof of the American Embassy in Saigon in 1975, during the Communist takeover of South Vietnam. One of her ABC reports later appeared in the motion picture “The Deer Hunter” in what Brown calls her “fifteen seconds of fame.” She has interviewed everyone from President Hamid Karzai, Condoleeza Rice and the Shah of Iran to Sidney Poitier, Lawrence Oliver and John le Carre. She retired from what she calls “the best job in the world” in 2009, and has now documented her life in her fascinating new memoir, “War Tourist.” Then Samantha Fish, a guitarist, songwriter and singer, voted by guitarworld.com as oner of the 10 best blues guitarists in the world today joins us. Calling her a blues guitarist is a little misleading because in a career spanning over 10 years, the Kansas City, Missouri musician music features multiple genres, including blues but also rock, country, funk, bluegrass and ballads. Her latest album, “Faster,” available now wherever you buy fine records, adds a new twist or two… On the new record she explores new ground adding in elements of pop, contemporary R & B and hip-hop into the music.

At the Raisina Dialogue 2020, Hamid Karzai (Former President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) spoke to Robin Niblett (President, Chatham House, United Kingdom), where they discussed the United States' presence in Afghanistan. Karzai and Niblett deliberated upon the extent to which the United States could exercise control in Afghanistan, with Karzai insisting on the Afghan people's right to live with dignity in their own country. The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are hosted in New Delhi to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters. The Dialogue is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, as well as major private sector executives, members of the media and academics. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs

Für sein Buch "Der längste Krieg - 20 Jahre War on Terror" hat Emran Feroz u. a. mit Bürgern vor Ort, die unter dem Krieg leiden, mit Taliban-"Offiziellen" und mit Hamid Karzai gesprochen. Am 17. Oktober war er zu Gast in "Fragen an den Autor".

Governing Afghanistan today will not be easy. The 1990s was a completely different time. ''Resistance will continue" claims Jawed Ludin, a former advisor to President Hamid Karzai in an interview with Tim Sebastian on Conflict Zone this week. He also admits: ''One thing that has changed is that today's Taliban have a very deep-seated vengeance."

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, former minister of finance under former President Hamid Karzai, and former ambassador to Pakistan. He discusses his opinions on the G20 summit and his hopes for more humanitarian aid as Afghanistan's humanitarian and economic crisis spirals out of control, Joe Biden's personal feelings on US policy towards Afghanistan, and what we can expect US policy to be towards Afghanistan for the rest of Biden's presidency, the rise of ISIS-K and how Donald Trump's use of the Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) on Afghanistan drove up recruitment for the group, his personal horrific experiences with ISIS-K, his opposition to any further foreign armed interventions or armed support for resistance groups, and the international community's obligation to aid Afghanistan after years of interference and bloodshed. Finally, we speak to Prof. Tim Jackson, author of ‘Post-Growth: Life After Capitalism'. He discusses why the GDP metric is deeply flawed in measuring the health and quality of an economy and society, the trend of decline of economic growth in Western economies such as the UK, his arguments for a radically different labour culture in which production is slowed down and lessened, the myth of ‘more is better' that the obsession with GDP has created, the negative social impacts stemming from governments' plans for constant economic growth, Boris Johnson's comments that capitalism has been key in the UK's coronavirus response and vaccine rollout, and much more!

On Today’s episode of the podcast Isaac and I discuss the concept of breaking ranks through the lens of Lt. Col Stuart Scheller. Lt. Col Scheller is well known for his video that went viral the same day as the death of 13 service members in a suicide attack in Hamid Karzai airport in Afghanistan. […]

Seit dem Fall Kabuls Mitte August, herrschen wieder die Taliban in Afghanistan. Und die Welt schaut gebannt auf das Land am Hindukusch. Zumindest für die ersten Wochen. Mittlerweile ist Afghanistan wieder aus den Schlagzeilen verschwunden. Der Journalist, Kriegsreporter und Buchautor Emran Feroz versucht mit seiner Arbeit dem Desinteresse eines internationalen Publikums entgegen zu wirken. Mit ihm spricht Solmaz Khorsand über die innerafghanischen Konfliktlinien, welche Rolle ausländische Besatzer spielen, die Afghanistan zum Friedhof der Afghanen gemacht haben, den perfiden Drohnenkrieg und über sein aktuelles Buch „Der Längste Krieg“, in dem er die vergangenen 20 Jahre „War on Terror“ Revue passieren lässt.Werbepartner dieser Folge ist "Hello Fresh". Hier könnt ihr den im Podcast angesprochenen Rabatt mit dem Codewort "POLITIK" einlösen: Rabattcode einlösenAm 28. Oktober präsentiert Emran Feroz sein Buch „Der längste Krieg“ in der Hauptbücherei Wien, weitere Infos gibt es hier: https://www.westendverlag.de/termin/emran-feroz-in-der-hauptbuecherein-wien/  

The Taliban raided an ISIS-affiliated hideout in the Afghan capital Kabul killing several insurgents, hours after a deadly bombing outside the Eid Gah mosque on Sunday that left at least five people dead. No one has taken responsibility for the blast, but the rival ISIS group has ramped up attacks against the Taliban, including the Aug. 26 bombing that killed more than 169 Afghans and 13 US military personnel outside Kabul airport.Related: Former adviser Sarah Chayes: The US failed to understand how Afghans wage warThough many people dread the harsh elements of Taliban rule, the group does not bring with it a reputation of being corrupt — a stark contrast to the government it ousted — which was notoriously rife with bribery, embezzlement and graft.Related: The Taliban want international recognition. Countries are debating.The US has invested some $2 trillion in Afghanistan. Corruption and mismanagement plagued the efforts from the start.One US government agency charged with overseeing money used to rebuild Afghanistan is called SIGAR, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.John Sopko, who has led SIGAR since 2012, joined The World's host Marco Werman from Washington to discuss the years of mismanagement in the country.Marco Werman: Inspector general, your job is to sound the alarm when funds are being misused. Tell us in brief what your agency actually does.John Sopko: We're one of the independent inspectors general created by Congress. And we have audit and criminal investigative authority. And our job, as you rightfully noted, was to ferret out waste, fraud, abuse in the money spent in Afghanistan, as well as to give advice to Congress on any administration on the problems we found and how to fix them.So, knowing what you knew over the years in Afghanistan, tell me about your reaction when you saw the Taliban take over the country in August.I have to be honest, although we had predicted problems and major problems for the 10 years I'd been there with the Afghan military and the government, I think we were surprised, just like everybody else, at the speed to which the government and the military collapsed. And not only surprise, but also shock and sadness, because we knew what it meant for a lot of Afghans we had worked with over those years.In the report, SIGAR talks extensively about corruption. Can you highlight what was going on and could the US have done more to prevent it?I think the US, and we highlighted the US could have done a lot more, and actually the US contributed a lot to the corruption in Afghanistan, because we spent too much money, too fast in too small a country, with too little oversight. So, the corruption was really endemic, and we're not talking about corruption like you may see in the United States or Europe or elsewhere. We're talking about corruption that's actually baked into the system there. Money was being stolen from us and from all the other allies who contributed for years from the top, all the way down to the bottom. So, what was the attitude of the Afghan government to this kind of thing that would inevitably lead to dysfunction?The Afghan government did not take an active response to our criticism on corruption. And I think, in part, because the corruption was so endemic. They were very good at checking the box. They would create an organization, hold a conference, rename something. We were really upset, and repeatedly talked about this in our reports, with not only the [Ashraf] Ghani government, but the [Hamid] Karzai government before that. Now, this doesn't mean there weren't some honest cops — Afghan cops and prosecutors and parliamentarians and judges who tried to do something — but overall, it was a pretty pathetic response to fight corruption in that country.And what impact did that have on the government's ability to repel the Taliban ultimately?Well, ultimately it contributed to the Taliban's success, because what happened is, the Afghan people saw how corrupt and incompetent their government was, and they saw it wasn't improving. So, they lost respect for the government and support for the government. They also saw that our government was giving that money to those corrupt officials and those corrupt contractors and those corrupt warlords. So, we lost support. I imagine, John Sopko, calling this stuff out over the past decade has not made you the most popular man in Washington. How have administration officials and members of Congress responded to your reports?A lot of members of Congress responded positively and have been very supportive of us and have actually recognized, over the years, what we were doing and the warnings we were giving. Some people in the administration have done that and been very responsive. But once you start a war, it's hard to stop, and once you're in there for 20 years, then it's like changing a ship in the water, trying to slowly move it. We had some successes, but obviously, a lot of things were not taken to heart by some of the administration people. And there there was a groundswell of opposition to some of the ideas we came up with. When we first highlighted the problem of ghost soldiers and ghost police, there were a lot of nameless, faceless bureaucrats who whispered to congressmen and senators and staffers that, "Oh, SIGAR was exaggerating." Well, turned out, we weren't. And it turned out, even the Afghans admitted, for example, right before the collapse, that over 50% of the police in Helmand and other provinces never existed. So, the first US mission in Afghanistan was to get rid of al-Qaeda, then came the nation building, then came the surge and a strong desire to leave, but nothing happened until this year. How much do you think that constant pivoting led to a lack of mission focus and more corruption?I mean, the report we came out with, we've been working on summarizing all of our work in what happened over the last 20 years. We've been working on it for a year and it came out, ironically, just a day or two after the collapse of Kabul. That highlighted a number of lessons. We didn't really have a clear, articulated strategy and goal. And so, a lot of things collapsed as a result. So, instead of fighting a 20-year war, doing 20 years of reconstruction, we did it one year at a time. We really never focused our resources on the target. And that also contributed, although I think it's an equal problem, was just a lack of understanding of the political and cultural context of Afghanistan. I mean, we basically empowered the warlords who the Taliban had successfully beaten with the support of the people when we came in. And again, not understanding the context, not understanding the corrupting influence, not understanding how the Afghans hated these people, we empowered them. And, lo and behold, when you go to sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas. And what we did here is, we made our bed with some very evil, corrupt, powerful individuals in Afghanistan who were hated by the people. So, John, Congress has called for a review of the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and its military. How do you think Congress will react to its own findings? Will officials be more likely to listen this time around?Well, I hope they will. I mean, Congress has asked us to answer a number of critical questions to do these. I mean, they've asked us to explain, "Why did the Afghan military collapse so quickly? Why did the Afghan government collapse so quickly? What happened to all the money that we were shipping over there? Particularly, when did we shut off the spigots of money flowing to Afghanistan? What happened to all the weapons? What is happening to all of the women and girls who we supported and all those programs?" I think they're reaching out to us because we have a track record of speaking truth to power. We have a track record of being non-partisan. We've criticized Democrats, we've criticize Republican administrations. We just state the facts. I think a lot of people in Congress actually think we may be the best organization out there to answer those type of questions. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. AP contributed to this report.

The US media seems suddenly concerned about all the women in Afghanistan right now. However, life has been hell for women in Afghanistan for the past thirty years, but most American media outlets did not deem it important enough to cover. Today, we have Sangar Paykhar from the Afghan Eye here to explain the history of the past thirty years of Afghanistan and what an economy filled with warlords looks like. You can follow Sangar on Twitter and the Afghan EyeShownotes:0:46 - Sangar explains how he began the independent media outlet the Afghan Eye5:13 - The history of Afghanistan from 1973-19929:26 - The origins of the Mujahideen 12:55 - The collapse of the 1992 Government14:01 - The Destruction of Kabul in 199218:08 - How bad was it to have warlords in charge?20:00 - Who are the Taliban?28:25 - Life under Warlord rule30:00 - How did the Taliban defeat the Warlords?33:01- Who is Hamid Karzai?39:05 - The Bonn Conference in 2001 where the warlords were put in charge44:00 - How many warlords do you need in your cabinet?49:00 - The Other Warlords - Ahmed Shah Massoud’s failsonLate nights with Lenin: Tonight at 10pmWe learn about how a Boogaloo Boy became a Lenin Boy. Get full access to Historic.ly at historicly.substack.com/subscribe

Networker, survivor - Afghanistan's former leader Hamid Karzai, famous for his traditional cloak and sheepskin hat, is back in the news. While others fled Kabul in mid-August when the Taliban swept in, Karzai stayed. He sat with them to help negotiate the transfer of power. In power for 13 of the past 20 years, the former president tells Lyse Doucet he's proud of what Afghanistan achieved and says neither he nor the US were able to stem the resurgence of the Taliban. Series music composed by Arson Fahim

Spegillinn 31. ágúst 2021 Umsjónarmaður: Bergljót Baldursdóttir Þjálfari karlalandsliðs Íslands í fótbolta segist ekki hafa íhugað að hætta vegna stöðunnar sem upp er komin innan KSÍ. Menntamálaráðherra fundaði með stjórn KSÍ síðdegis og segist treysta forystunni til að leysa úr málinu. Rætt við Arnar Þór Viðarsson. landsliðsþjálfara Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, menntamálaráðherra fundaði með fráfarandi stjórn KSÍ í dag. Hún segist ánægð með þær áætlanir sem henni hafi verið kynntar. Hún treysti knattspyrnuforystunni til að leysa úr málinu, en þykir ekki viðeigandi að tjá sig um málefni einstakra starfsmanna. Framkvæmdastjóri NATO varar Talíbana við því að hindra för flóttafólks. Mikilvægt sé að halda Hamid Karzai flugvellinum í Kabúl opnum. Píratar leggja áherslu á lýðræði, nýja stjórnarskrá, róttækar breytingar í sjávarútvegsmálum og vilja uppræta spillingu fyrir komandi kosningar. Rætt við Björn Leví Gunnarsson, hjá Pírötum. Sjötíu og fimm prósent barna á aldrinum 12 til 17 ára hafa verið bólusett við Covid-19. Þrjátíu og þrjár tilkynningar um aukaverkanir hafa borist Lyfjastofnun. Rætt við Guðrúnu Aspelund, yfirlækni hjá Landlæknisembættinu Gróðureldar brenna glatt í Kaliforníuríki Bandaríkjanna. Tugir þúsunda hafa þurft að yfirgefa heimili sín vegna eldanna Samfélagsleg bylting sem átt hefur sér stað undanfarin ár hefur líka náð til íþróttahreyfingarinnar. Stórkostlegar breytingar eiga sér nú stað í íþróttamenningunni, segir prófessor í félagsfræði. Rætt við Viðar Halldórsson, prófessor í félagsfræði. Stjórnvöld í Mexíkó hafa höfðað mál á hendur nokkrum bandarískum byssuframleiðendum fyrir dómstóli í Bandaríkjunum. Þau saka framleiðendurna um að auðvelda sölu á vopnum til eiturlyfjagengja í Mexíkó. Hryllileg ofbeldis- og morðalda hefur gengið yfir landið undanfarin 15 ár. Ragnhildur Thorlacius segir frá Á Covid tímum sjást ekki sextíu rútur við Gullfoss en kannski fleiri bílar Íslendinga en áður var. Sama staða er á vinsælum ferðamannaslóðum annars staðar: heimamenn og innlendir ferðamenn hafa þær fyrir sig. Ýmislegt bendir til að þetta muni breytast þegar dregur úr veirufaraldrinum en áhrif aukinnar umhverfisvitundar á ferðalögum fólks er nýr óvissuþáttur. Sigrún Davíðsdóttir fjallar um veirufaraldurinn og ferðaþjónustu víða um heim.

News and chat about society, with a soundboard and propaganda mixed in. On this episode, I was completely solo! This is Season 5, at the show's brand new venue: the beautiful Lorena Bobbitt Theatre. It's the HD era! Some of the things covered include: - The connection between Taliban, al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden - Taliban offered to surrender Osama bin Laden to a third country if the US stopped bombing and the US declined - al-Qaeda leadership was all Soviet-Afghan War veterans - The Haqqani Network's connection to the US, CIA, al-Qaeda, and eventually Taliban - Haqqani Network's increasing integration into Taliban - The US's support of Taliban against ISKP (ISIS in Afghanistan) - Ashraf Ghani and Hamid Karzai, the leaders of US occupied Afghanistan - The Afghanistan Papers revealing how big of a mess up the occupation was - Opium growth in Afghanistan, and the Golden Triangle for opium in Southeast Asia - the Doha Agreement as a tacit admission Taliban would have power if the US pulls out - Is the Afghanistan withdrawal the US's version of the Suez Crisis - The Suez Crisis signifies the downfall of the UK as a global superpower - Why is the Iraq War presented as the bad war and Afghanistan War as the good war, when the Afghanistan War was terrible? - American Frontier Ideology, a far-right settler expansionist, American exceptionalist idea - Afghanistan as a frontier for the US - Supply chain hold-ups, shortages, and the high price of shipping containers All of that, and much much more, this is the Society Show! Visit the website: societyshow.net Leave a message on the Society Show voicemail: (971) BETH-1EU [(971) 238-4138 Follow the show on twitter: @society_show

At the Raisina Dialogue 2020, Hamid Karzai (Former President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) spoke to Robin Niblett (President, Chatham House, United Kingdom), where they discussed the United States' presence in Afghanistan. Karzai and Niblett deliberated upon the extent to which the United States could exercise control in Afghanistan, with Karzai insisting on the Afghan people's right to live with dignity in their own country.The Raisina Dialogue is a multilateral conference committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. Every year, global leaders in policy, business, media and civil society are hosted in New Delhi to discuss cooperation on a wide range of pertinent international policy matters.The Dialogue is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, as well as major private sector executives, members of the media and academics.The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs#RaisinaDialogue #RaisinaDialogue2020 #Raisina2020

阿富汗塔利班：将组建新政府丨Taliban seeking to establish new governmentThe Taliban met on Wednesday with former Afghan president Hamid Karzai as the group is seeking to form a new government in the war-torn country, with the international community calling for more talks and peace and stability in Afghanistan.塔利班周三与阿富汗前总统哈米德·卡尔扎伊会面，塔利班正努力在这个饱受战争摧残的国家组建一个新政府，国际社会呼吁在阿富汗进行更多的会谈并实现和平与稳定。The meeting between the Taliban and the former Afghan leader came after Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country following the Taliban's takeover of most parts of Afghanistan, including the capital city of Kabul, on Sunday.阿富汗总统穆罕默德·阿什拉夫·加尼在塔利班于周日接管包括首都喀布尔在内的阿富汗大部分地区后离开该国，塔利班和这位阿富汗前领导人之间的会晤在加尼离开之后举行。Karzai, who was the nation's president from 2001 to 2014, has been leading efforts to ensure a peaceful transfer of power in Afghanistan, according to media reports.据媒体报道，2001年至2014年担任该国总统的卡尔扎伊一直在努力确保阿富汗权力和平交接。On Thursday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on his Twitter account a picture of a flag and coat of arms, and announced the "declaration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on the occasion of the 102nd anniversary of the country's independence from British rule".周四，塔利班发言人扎比胡拉·穆贾希德在他的推特账户上发布了一张国旗和国徽的图片，并宣布“在阿富汗摆脱英国统治、独立102周年纪念日之际，塔利班宣布成立‘阿富汗伊斯兰酋长国'”。China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday that China has been maintaining communication and contact with the Afghan Taliban on the basis of respecting the sovereignty of the country and the will of various factions.中国外交部发言人华春莹周四表示，中方在充分尊重阿富汗国家主权以及国内各派意愿的基础上，同阿富汗塔利班等各派都保持着联系和沟通。"We encourage and hope the Afghan Taliban can follow through its positive statements, unite with all parties and ethnic groups in Afghanistan, establish a broadly based, inclusive political framework that fits the national conditions and win public support through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible," Hua said.华春莹称：“我们鼓励并希望阿塔将其积极表态落到实处，同阿各党派、各民族团结起来，尽快通过对话协商建立符合阿富汗自身国情、得到人民支持、广泛包容的政治架构。”China also hopes the Afghan Taliban will implement moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, curb terrorism and criminal acts, and ensure a smooth transition so that people can be free from war and enjoy lasting peace, she said.华春莹说到，中方也希望阿富汗塔利班施行温和稳健的内外政策。遏制各类恐怖主义和犯罪行径，确保阿富汗局势实现平稳过渡，让饱受战火之苦的阿富汗人民能够尽快远离战乱，建立持久和平。The spokeswoman called on the international community to jointly encourage and support all factions and ethnic groups in Afghanistan to engage in solidarity and cooperation in order to open a new chapter in the country's history.这位发言人呼吁国际社会应共同鼓励和支持阿富汗各党派、各民族团结合作，翻开阿富汗历史的新篇章。Hua added that she had "noticed that some people have been saying they don't trust the Afghan Taliban".华春莹补充说到，她“注意有些人反复强调他们对阿塔的不信任”。"I want to say that nothing stays unchanged. When understanding and handling problems, we should adopt a holistic, interconnected and developmental dialectical approach. We should look at both the past and the present. We need to not only listen to what they say, but also look at what they do. If we do not keep pace with the times, but stick to a fixed mindset and ignore the development of the situation, we will never reach a conclusion that is in line with reality," she said.“我想说的是，世界上没有任何事物是一成不变的。我们主张要用全面、联系的、发展的辩证思维来认识、看待和处理问题，不仅要看过去怎么样，也要看现在怎么样；不仅听其言，也要观其行。如果不与时俱进，而是抱守固定思维，无视形势发展，那就是刻舟求剑，就不会得出符合实际的结论。”The spokeswoman said that the rapid evolution of the situation in Afghanistan also shows that there is a lack of objective judgment on the situation by the outside world as well as a failure to accurately understand the opinions of the Afghan people.这位女发言人说到，阿富汗局势的急剧演变也表明外界以往对阿富汗形势缺乏客观判断，对阿民意缺乏准确把握。"Certain Western countries should particularly draw a lesson from this," Hua said.“西方某些国家尤其应该汲取教训，”华春莹说。On Wednesday, various countries called for restraint and peace in the war-torn country.周三，多个国家呼吁让这个饱受战争摧残的国家尽快恢复和平。Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, agreed, in a telephone call, on the importance of establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan.俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京和伊朗总统易卜拉欣·莱希在电话中一致同意在阿富汗建立和平与稳定的重要性。"Much attention was paid to the events unfolding in Afghanistan. Willingness to contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in this country was expressed," the Kremlin said in a statement.克里姆林宫在一份声明中说：“对阿富汗发生的事件给予了很大关注，并表示愿意为在这个国家建立和平与稳定作出贡献。”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey welcomes the "moderate" statements made by the Taliban leaders in Afghanistan.土耳其总统雷杰普·塔伊普·埃尔多安说，土耳其欢迎塔利班领导人在阿富汗做出的“有节制的”声明。1.coat of armsn.盾形纹章；盾徽网络：国徽；族徽；武装外衣2.faction美 ['fækʃ(ə)n] 英 ['fækʃ(ə)n]n.派别；内讧；派系斗争；纪实与虚构相结合的电影（或书等）网络：宗派；小集团；帮派3.holistic美 [hoʊ'lɪstɪk] 英 [həʊ'lɪstɪk]adj.整体的；全面的；功能整体性的网络：全人；全盘的；整体论4.dialectical美 [ˌdaɪə'lektɪkl] 英 [ˌdaɪə'lektɪkl]adj.辩证(法)的；方言的网络：辩证的；辩证法的；辩证性

President Biden said there was "no consensus" in intelligence reports on Afghanistan when he claimed in June it was "highly unlikely" the Taliban would take over the country after U.S. forces departed, later saying that it had happened much quicker than he anticipated. The President maintains there is nothing he would change about the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Pentagon today admits the evacuation effort in Afghanistan is not going fast enough. They are to open up one gate at Hamid Karzai airport which the U.S. Military will oversee and also rush U.S. Consular Officers to the airport to process the Afghans' paperwork to get them onto flights. Along with 45 of her Senate Colleagues, Senator Hirono has signed onto a bipartisan letter urging the Biden Administration to protect Afghan women leaders in the wake of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. As the Government rolls out the booster shot plan saying every American vaccinated eight months ago should get a booster shot, the CDC reports that people in states with low vaccination rates are four times more likely to be hospitalized and six times more likely to die from coronavirus. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says it is the parents' choice to quarantine a "healthy kid" after possible coronavirus exposure in school. The statement is a continuation of weeks of tension between the White House and Governor DeSantis, as the state grapples with one of the worst outbreaks of Covid-19 in the Nation. BREAKING NEWS IN WASHINGTON: The United States Capitol Police are investigating an active bomb threat after reports of an explosive device in a truck near the Library of Congress. On today's panel: CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr, Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace, The New York Times' Jonathan Martin, The Wall Street Journal's Vivian Salama, CNN National Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood, Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono, CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner, and Afghanistan Veteran Kristen Rouse. Hosted by John King. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

The White House lays out the case for Covid-19 vaccination booster shots being available from September 20, with The Surgeon General saying the available data proves third shots are necessary because the vaccine wanes over time and also because the delta variant is so virulent. There is rage and desperation in Afghanistan with thousands of Americans still stranded in the country, plus thousands more Afghans who trusted American promises to get them out. The Biden Administration admits it is relying on the Taliban to guarantee safe passage to Hamid Karzai airport for Americans and Afghans alike. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has tested positive for Covid-19, according to a statement from his office, following footage of the Governor at an indoor political event on Monday, mingling in a maskless crowd, contrary to CDC guidelines. Broward and Alachua Public Schools continue to defy Governor Desantis' ban on mask mandates. Miami Dade and Hillsborough County School Boards are due to meet this week to decide the action they will take as more than 4,700 Florida students and teachers have tested positive for Covid-19 in the first week of school. U.S. intelligence reports earlier this summer warned of the rapid collapse of the Afghanistan Military despite President Biden's assurances. As Democrats blast the President over the chaotic Afghan withdrawal they also vow to investigate White House ‘failures' in Afghanistan. On today's panel: CNN Political Analyst Margaret Talev, The New York Times' Zolan Kanno-Youngs, The Washington Post's Karoun Demirjian, Professor Vali Nasr, Professor William Schaffner, CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr, CNN National Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood and CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins. Hosted by John King. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

This week we discuss all things Hamid Karzai. From his start in the pre-Taliban government and relationship with King Zahir Shah, to his eventual return and ascendancy to become president. We talk about Karzai's abilities as a politician and a statesman, as well as the consistent charges of corruption that followed throughout his administration. We also get into some of what Karzai has been up to since the end of his 2nd term and the introduction of his successor, Ashraf Ghani. Towards the beginning of this week's episode we have some exciting news about next week's episode and guests. _________________________________________ Where to Listen:Apple: https://bit.ly/theboardwalkapple Spotify: https://bit.ly/theboardwalkspotify Pandora: https://bit.ly/3xZ8bk9 Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3gbZ6ya Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/37UuZXQ Stitcher: https://bit.ly/3AQNadj  iHeart Radio: https://bit.ly/3y0Vfdw TuneIn: https://bit.ly/2W1VEPN Buzzsprout: https://bit.ly/37PIdoy  Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and share wherever you listen to our podcast. New episodes of The Boardwalk are published every Saturday morning.  Our Social Media Sites:Instagram: @theboardwalkpodcast Facebook: @TheBoardwalkPodcastTwitter: @theboardwalkpod You can also reach us by email at: theboardwalkpodcast@gmail.com  The views expressed by the hosts and guests of this podcast do not represent the views of the United States Government or the United States Department of Defense. 

Nach 20 Jahren ziehen die US-Streitkräfte und ihre Verbündeten aus Afghanistan ab. Zurück bleibt ein Land, das zwischen seinen Eliten und ihren Gegnern zerrieben wird – kann das gut gehen? Susanne Koelbl hat in Kabul den aktuellen Präsidenten Afghanistans Ashraf Ghani getroffen und auch mit dessen Vorgänger Hamid Karzai diskutiert. In dieser Episode berichtet sie über die Risiken und Chancen des Landes nach dem Abzug der ISAF-Truppen.  ANZEIGE Wer kombiniert hat alle Vorteile: vodafone.de/gigakombi oder in deinem Vodafone Shop. Finde heraus wie du profitieren kannst auf vodafone.de/gigakombi oder in deinem Vodafone Shop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamid Helmandi, a specialist in urban development and agriculture, was the cofounder of the First Afghanistan Construction Company along with the family members of former president Hamid Karzai. Helmandi tells his story of being involved in a state of the art urban development project called Ayno Mina in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province.  Below are links to Hamid Helmandi, his current position and news articles related to his story.   Abdul Hamid Helmandi, senior advisor of Afghan president Ashraf Ghani: https://aop.gov.af/dr/advisor_details/284Hamid Helmandi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HamidHelmandiAccording to several AFCO partners, Shah Wali Karzai had transferred about $55 million. “He simply opened another company, and put the money in that company,” Mahmoud Karzai said in an interview: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/world/asia/karzai-family-moves-to-protect-its-privilege.htmlUS Prosecutors probe Karzai's brother: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704760704575516052903781616Bank Fraud case of Mahmoud Karzai: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/elaborate-ruse-behind-vast-kabul-bank-fraud/2011/06/30/AGL3bmsH_story.htmlAfghan president appoints Mahmoud Karzai as acting minister for Urban Development: https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/1267492683939012626?s=20Afghan Wind Solar: http://www.afghanwindsolar.com/index.php/about-usNPR 2008 Interview with Helmandi about Ayno Mina: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87858936&t=1603724723154Pajhwok news item about Afghanistan Construction Company in 2018: https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2018/07/28/afco-licence-expires-main-shareholders-loggerheads   Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Afgeye)

This week we are honoured to speak with Charles and Mary Ann Strange, whose son Michael—Cryptologic Technician and Petty Officer (Collection) First Class Michael Strange—was tragically killed in a suspicious helicopter shoot-down in Afghanistan. Michael had served as a member of SEAL Team Six when it was reported to have assassinated Osama bin Laden at the beginning of May 2011. But on August 6, 2011 Michael was killed—along with fourteen other members of SEAL Team Six, two other Navy SEALs, thirteen US Army and US Navy support personnel, seven Afghan commandos, one Afgan interpreter and one US military working dog—when the CH-47D Chinook helicopter in which they were travelling was shot down by the Taliban. But this was no ordinary tragedy in the horrific course of warfare; it was a deeply suspicious event. And many of the families who lost loved ones that day continue to press their catalogue of serious questions that the authorities seem unwilling to answer. (For show notes please visit http://themindrenewed.com)

Unemployment, bank bailouts and government gridlock have created a nightmare scenario for the party in power. Some Washington pundits are suggesting the Democrats might lose control of either the House or the Senate. We get an early rundown of this year's elections. Also, hearings on Toyota begin in the House, and President Hamid Karzai makes a political move that alienates his western supporters.

Mixed messages about swine flu and the availability of H1N1 vaccine have led to confusion and unexpected public anxiety. We hear from parents, doctors and medical researchers today. Also, reports that the CIA is paying Hamid Karzai's brother. On Reporter's Notebook, will California be the first state to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana?

The latest US strategy against the Taliban calls for winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. But complaints of election fraud threaten the credibility of President Hamid Karzai, and contractors guarding the US embassy, have shocked Afghan sensibilities. We update developments as support in the US is on the decline for what's called "Barack Obama's war." Also, Pfizer is fined $2.3 billion for illegal marketing of drugs, and reassessing piracy.