Antiwar.com Original
The U.S. is leaving Afghanistan – finally, after two decades. The result is not likely to be pretty. Government soldiers are surrendering. Taliban forces are advancing. Kabul officials are panicking. The Biden administration is desperately trying to slow the regime’s incipient collapse with resumed airstrikes.
It is a tragic situation, but, looking back, at least, appears inevitable. The Afghan civil war is in its 40
th year. The US has been involved for almost 20 years. The US quickly achieved its initial objectives, disrupting al-Qaeda for conducting the 9/11 terrorist attacks and punishing the Taliban for hosting a-Qaeda.
However, expanding the mission to nation-building proved to be a bust. Despite the expenditure of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars, the result was essentially a Potemkin state. The Kabul authorities always were less than ideal: when I visited Afghanistan, I found no Afghan with anything good to say abou
Maikeli Seru
14 July, 2021, 4:30 pm
Flying Fijians forward Mesulame
Dolokoto during a team training
session in Hamilton yesterday.
Picture: FIJI RUGBY
The second Test between the Flying Fijians and the All Blacks at the FMG Waikato Stadium in Hamilton could be heading for a sellout.
At 10am yesterday accommodation outlets in hotels, apartments and motels at Hamilton City and close to the stadium had recorded 82 per cent occupancy four days away from the much anticipated Test.
Fiji Hamilton Society executive Ilaitia Tuwere said the demands for tickets had skyrocketed indicating that the match could head for a sellout.
“The discussions surrounding the Flying Fijians continue here in Hamilton,” Tuwere said.