The Lost Hegemon: Whom the Gods Would Destroy
Opium Wars, bin Laden, and Mujahideen
“When the operation started in 1979, this region grew opium only for regional markets and produced no heroin. Within two years, however, the Pakistan-Afghanistan borderlands became the world’s top heroin producer. . . . CIA assets again controlled this heroin trade. As the Mujahideen guerrillas seized territory inside Afghanistan, they ordered peasants to plant opium as a revolutionary tax.” Alfred McCoy, author, The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia
A Soviet “Vietnam”
By far the most influential voice in the US Administration of President Jimmy Carter was his National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski. Brzezinski’s influence drew largely from the fact that he had one of the most influential patrons in the United States at the time. David Rockefeller, then chairman of the family’s Chase Manhattan Bank, one of the most influential banks internationally, had taken Brzezins
I Could Live With That : How the CIA Made Afghanistan Safe for the Opium Trade blacklistednews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from blacklistednews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Republic System and its Impact on Afghans
The Islamic republic system has been the longest-running political system in the country after the end of the absolute monarchy led by King Mohammad Zahir. The monarchy lasted for 40 years, and the current republic has been in place for the past two decades.
The Afghan government has often emphasized the need to preserve the republic when it comes to peace efforts. But what is a republic, and to what extent does the Afghan government live up to the ideal?
“Rule of law, people’s commitment to law and the commitment of the government to the law and to providing balanced services are elements of the republic,” said Hadi Miran, an international affairs analyst.