My latest in PJ Media:
As the U.S.-backed regime in Afghanistan folds with astonishing rapidity before the advancing Taliban, Old Joe Biden’s handlers, ever ready to prove how badly they can foul things up, are appealing to the Taliban to go easy, and dangling before these battle-hardened jihadis the chimerical prospect of acceptance by the bodies of world authority and opinion which those jihadis regard with nothing but contempt. According to the Washington Post, “the U.S. argument to the Taliban is that if it avoids a direct confrontation with the more than 3,000 U.S. troops arriving in Kabul and waits for the completion of the evacuation, that increases the likelihood that both the international community and Afghans will accept the Taliban’s entry into the capital.”
Do the foreign policy “experts” in the State Department really think that the Taliban cares in the slightest degree for acceptance by “the international community”? The answer is actually yes, the State wonks do likely think that, and it’s just another illustration of how all their Foreign-Policy-Magazine Rand-Corporation Brookings-Institution expertise doesn’t move them even a millimeter closer to understanding the realities of Afghanistan, which is why we are in this fix now, a fix that has been utterly predictable (and I have predicted it, repeatedly) for the last twenty years.
In reality, the Taliban makes no secret of what it is all about: It is an Islamic group, dedicated to establishing the rule of Islamic law in Afghanistan. The word “Taliban” means “students,” i.e., students of the Qur’an and Sunnah. That’s basically all they’re about. The Taliban regards the “international community” as largely made up of jahili regimes, that is, societies of unbelievers that deserve no respect and certainly warrant no accommodation. Whether the “international community” accepts the Taliban or doesn’t, the Taliban will soldier on for Allah. If they attain victory now, they will rule Afghanistan. If they don’t, they will keep fighting against the next crowd of infidels that comes into the country.
And as for the Afghan people, their view of all this is one of the things that Harry Truman long ago derisively dubbed “the striped-pants boys” in the State Department have no idea about. The Taliban doesn’t need to treat the Americans gently in order to win the acceptance of the Afghan people. The Afghan people for the most part would be happy to see the Americans get a whipping as the Taliban enters Kabul, for all our billions spent over the last two decades to win over Afghan hearts and minds never took cognizance of the fact that the Qur’an warns against the Jews and Christians: “And the Jews will not be pleased with you, neither will the Christians, until you follow their religion.” (2:120)
In light of that, which the overwhelming majority of Afghans believe to be the perfect and unalterable word of Allah, all those hearts-and-minds initiatives were to be regarded with the utmost suspicion, as simply a ploy to deceive the Muslims into embracing Christianity or Judaism.
There is more. Read the rest here.
gregbeetham says
I never thought I’d see the day when a section of western civilization revels in ignorance, or is it arrogance? the assumption that what they don’t know isn’t worth knowing? but but, how could anyone on the left be wrong about something?
Malcolm (South Afric) says
From a South African perspective, there is this error in judgement in the West that: we are so military powerful and our generals advanced, that we can destroy these backward Taliban. Twenty years of fighting with the most advanced military equipment, air force, navy, tanks, multiple intelligence agencies. Yet when you withdraw your enemy not only has all the ground the West occupied, but also their sophisticated weaponry left behind.
The West territory has opened our boarders to the enemy, they have armed the enemy, what arrogant fools we have in West. The USA had tight security at airports yet they have open boarders in the south, no doubt the same enemy, will be given free passage, no coved restrictions, free education, accommodation, social security payments.
The Taliban out smarted the generals, the politicians.
gregbeetham says
Yep, and I bet they never even broke into a sweat doing it.
mortimer says
Western countries failed to identify political Islam as the problem and they did not come to the conclusion that as an ideology, political Islam must be fought ideologically.
Political Islam is a supremacist death cult and in Afghanistan, the cult is Salafist. About 98% of the population is Islamist. Without changing their thinking, you simply have a whole country of little Osama bin Ladens. Together, the population of Afghanistan is likely to export terrorism again just like Iran.
gregbeetham says
I think if a Western country thinks they can normalize an Islamic country like Afghanistan they are off with the fairies, they’ve had centuries of Islam bashed into their heads from the moment they are borne so unless they are prepared to do a China on it forget it.
Maybe at some point China will eventually do a China on it, and that would be interesting.
bill says
Well done Biden, you have just created the best armed terrorist organisation in the world
Uma says
Very true, if Afganistan completely comes under Taliban rule, it is not only, the best armed terrorist organization but also a nation too.
Kilauea says
The only reason the U.S. didn’t win in Afghanistan is because our leaders do not have the will to exterminate a population that resists us.
gravenimage says
Afghanistan is statistically 100% Muslim. Impossible to destroy Islam there. The only mistake was that US and coalition generals didn’t realize that going in.
Peter says
Afghanistan may be 100% Islam but like Iran there are plenty of people who do not want Islamic Sharea and they are terribly afraid of Taliban who have got the guns and even now there are lot of groups like Northern Alliance who are fighting Taliban and there are many Shia groups in Masari Sharif who are opposed to Taliban who are basically Sunny . You cannot believe on any statistics from a muslim theocracy .I am sure one day with or without help from US and West ,the people of Afghanististan despite Pakistan ,China and Biden A will be free
jule says
When are we going to impeach this goon?
CogitoErgoSum says
Maybe if he promised to give them one of Hunter’s paintings every time they did something nice for him it would help.
tim gallagher says
CogitoErgoSum, out here in Australia, we have a program called “Outsiders” on Sky News TV. They have a regular guest, named Ami Horowitz (I think that’s the right spelling) and, yesterday, he was talking about Hunter Biden’s latest disaster, talking to a Russian prostitute on camera or something. But Horowitz said that Joe Biden had said that he thought that Hunter Biden was the most brilliant person he’d ever met. I thought, you’re kidding. Is it true that Joe Biden said this about his son?. Horowitz then said that Hunter Biden is a dumb as a bag of rocks. To me, this Hunter Biden seems like a really bizarre creature. I suppose that he is mostly off his face on drugs.
gravenimage says
Ami Horowitz is great. Some of his stuff has been covered here:
“Video: The truth about the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S.”
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2019/06/video-the-truth-about-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-the-u-s
And this, at my own alma mater:
“Video: Which is more offensive at UC-Berkeley — the flag of the Islamic State or the flag of Israel?”
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/11/video-which-is-more-offensive-at-uc-berkeley-the-flag-of-the-islamic-state-or-the-flag-of-israel
tim gallagher says
Thanks for the information, gravenimage. They probably would have Ami Horowitz on every month. They have a couple of conservative blacks on from time to time. One is a young man named Benji Irvy or something like that. I write their names down, but I have lost it. There is a conservative black woman, but I can’t recall her name. On climate change, I think the guy they sometimes interview is Michael Sellenberger, though I’m not sure if that is the correct spelling. From the UK, they often talk to Brendan O’Neill, who I like, and also a young conservative black man there named Calvin Robinson, who is good. Berkeley is a well renowned left wing, radical university,isn’t it. I am old enough to remember that it had a reputation for demos and radicalism way back in the time of the Vietnam war. Of course, most unis these days seem to be very left wing, here in Australia at any rate, but Berkeley always seemed that way. Were you ever a left winger? I must say that I never was. Most of the left agenda just didn’t make much sense to me even when I was young.
tim gallagher says
gravenimage, I just checked on the man “Outsiders” used to have on, mainly during the lead up to the last US election. His name is Benji Irby not Irvy. Ami Horowitz has got some courage to go out in the public, as he does on that clip from Berkeley uni. I could imagine that people could get violent with him. He seems to be a very bright guy. That reminds me that they used to interview Andy Ngo from time to time and I recall that he was beaten up by the Antifa mob while videoing them. I remember Andy Ngo being mentioned here at Jihad Watch at some point.
gravenimage says
Thanks for that information, Tim–sounds like a great program.
I do admire Ami Horowitz. Things are not so bad in Berkeley (yet, anyway) that I think he was actually in much physical danger. More clueless dhimmis than violent Leftists and Muslims there at this point.
So sorry to hear about Andy Ngo–Antifa is *very* nasty.
Here is that story:
“Journalist Andy Ngo Recounts Brutal Beating at the Hands of Portland Antifa”
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/journalist-andy-ngo-recounts-brutal-beating-at-the-hands-of-portland-antifa/
And they turned on him because he *wasn’t* assaulting police–deeply disturbing.
tim gallagher says
Yes, “Outsiders” is a good program, gravenimage. Depending on the issues discussed and the guests they interview, it very interesting sometimes and a bit boring other times. It has the three presenters, Rowan Dean, originally from England, Rita Panahi, born in the USA and spent her early years in Iran, and James Morrow, from New York but now a journalist out here. The other show I watch from 6 to 7PM on Monday to Friday is a program that Peta Credlin hosts. She used to be the chief of staff for Tony Abbott back when he was Prime Minister. She is very good. I watch a bit of Andrew Bolt’s program as well. On “Outsiders” I remember that had a French intellectual on (can’t recall his name), who was in Australia, about islam. I found him a bit soft on islam, but, at the end of the interview he said, “You are a formidable try-o (that is trio – I remember that is how he pronounced it). They are pretty impressive and often funny, I would say particularly Rowan Dean. His main job is as editor of the Australian version of “The Spectator” magazine. They absolutely tear into the woke agenda and its insanity.
CogitoErgoSum says
Yes, Joe Biden did say Hunter is the smartest person he knows. As Joe is fond of saying, look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi6r9y2Pzjo&ab_channel=EricWai
tim gallagher says
Thanks for that, CogitoErgoSum. It is an extraordinary statement from Joe Biden. Not to have met anyone smarter than Hunter Biden is a huge worry. Of course, it couldn’t be true and he seems to be trying to be nice and give praise to his hopeless son Hunter. But doesn’t Joe Biden look both lost for a moment there and also, I would say, looks like a very tired old man. I’ve seen a lot of video clips where Joe Biden is plainly lost and confused.
mortimer says
Bribed-man to Taliban: ‘Go easy.’
Taliban to Bribed-man: ‘No. Death to America.’
Walter Sieruk says
The disgustingly weak bagging Joe Biden by literally pleading to the Taliban to “go easily” with their savage brutal murdering is a fool pseudo-American President who is an embarrassment to the United States of America and disgrace to Office of the US Presidency..
The graveling of that old fool Biden will only increase the Islamic contempt for America and Americans .
Likewise , even those in power in that”mullah regime’ of Iran , even though they dislike the Taliban ,because they are Sunni Islam and not Shiite Islam , will give some type of grudging “respect” to the Taliban for humbling the Chief Executive of the nation that they call “The Great Satan.”
Other countries Islamic as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and non- Islamic countries as Red China will grow in their arrogance towards America ,all because of that terrible old fool who is President pretender Biden.
Don McKellar says
Hahahaha! Begging for mercy from Islamic Supremacists and trying to reason with them that they’ll look bad in front of infidels.
That’s pure Obama. He probably told Biden to say that.
Don McKellar says
Oh, I see now it was the “Biden Admin” who said it. Obama’s B team. Ahahahahaha!
gravenimage says
Pathetic: Biden Admin Pleads with Taliban to Go Easy, So as to Win Approval of ‘International Community’
………..
Yeah, because the bloody Taliban cared so much about the International Community pre-2001, when about three nations recognized their government in Afghanistan.
Jim says
I think that Biden is trying to impress the world that he is a man of peace, in contrast to Trump. But of course the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and also false claims and phony compassion.
Jerry says
Jim says
Aug 15, 2021 at 10:33 pm
I think that Biden is trying to impress the world that he is a man of peace, in contrast to Trump.
Jim, what are you smoking that’s made you so delusional? In which of your fantasy worlds was Trump not a man of peace?
By the same token, how much peace will Biden’s demented decision to arm the taliban with coatly American weapons of war by abandoning Afghanistan bring to Afghan women and non-Muslims in nearby nations?
gravenimage says
Jim is right that this is likely how Biden sees himself. That doesn’t mean that Jim considers Biden right.
donynam says
The only way to eliminate Islamic influences is using China Communist method. Many people criticize China Communist for setting up reeducation camps to force Muslims quit Islam. However, those who criticize inhumane policy on eliminating Jihadists in China cannot come out with one practical solution that can stop Jihadists forever.
Indeed, not all Muslims are waging war against infidels, but it is so obvious that Islam is calling Muslims to wage war against infidels.
gravenimage says
The population of Afghanistan is over 38 million. Even if they were so inclined, no one can put that many Muslims in reeducation camps–nor even a large percentage of them.
Much better to isolate Islam. Back when this was the norm, we were largely safe from Jihad.
peter says
You are right but at the same time all politicians of all colors and stripe and news media was singing the praise of Islam saying that it is a religion of peace and it is the greatest religion in the world . It came out of the mouth of George Bush and even Juliani . Now they must be feeling embarrassed looking back at what they said . It is this mealy mouth circumlocution that led to the raise of Islamism all around the world for which we are paying now.
gravenimage says
Peter, you are right that the west has often been vrey foolish. (althugh I have never heard Giuliani–or even George Bush–claim that Islam is the greatest religion in the world–citations?).
But while western cluelessness and weakness has no doubt enabled “Islamism”, your idea that this is what caused it is mistaken, “Islamism” is actually Islam itself.
owensgate says
Appalling. The very LAST thing the Taliban need, is “approval” of the International Community (whatever THAT is). Future historians will be astonished at our stupidity, and mock us. Some entities in history rise up and say “ μολὼν λαβέ ”, others turn and run. The biggest mistake is the abandonment of Bagram Air Base. It was defendable, a necessary “eye” on terrorist activities, and, considering the importance of that area, should have been expanded into the “Ramstein” of West Asian. Very useful due to the proximity of China, but whatever, now the possibilities are lost.
gravenimage says
The Taliban has the approval of Pakistan–and not by “going easy” on the US:
“Pakistan’s Khan hails Afghans for breaking ‘shackles of slavery’”
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2021/08/pakistans-khan-hails-afghans-for-breaking-shackles-of-slavery
peter says
We do not know how much Biden has paid Pakistan and Taliban for going easy on Americans . Time only will tell .
roberta says
The humiliating days have returned. So Obamaesc.
At least now I dont work internationally, so I wont have to try explain in every airport I pass through that these stupid decisions are not made by the American people. After the first worldwide disaster term of Obama, no matter where I traveled the people would ask me (wtf are you people thinking electing that idiot for a second term?) The question was so often asked that I had to avoid eye contact in order to not
strike up a conversation. What an embarrassing time that was, and here we are again.
Kilauea says
Joe Biden is the equivalent of a senile grandfather telling his grandchildren to play nice. This man is pathetic and should admit he stole the election and step aside for Trump to bring the country back.
OLD GUY says
The American public is stupid, we pay our taxes and watch idiots blow 84 billion on a country we can’t make love us or wants us any where near them. What we just did is arm our enemy with top quality weapons and equipment. Who came out ahead on this the Military contractors that produce all this equipment and arms, along with the Taliban.
gravenimage says
Actually, the US has spent over *$2 trillion* on Afghanistan. Think wht that could do for infrastructure here.
For instance, sending every ivy league student to college over the past twenty years cost just $220 billion.
Not that I’m suggesting the government pay tuition–just using a yardstick here.
Rooster says
America is being led by the most evil, stupid government ever assembled in America! I for one will not follow unconstitutional laws spit out by executive orders or legislated. If local , state, or federal lawenforcement complies with the stupidity being administered then Patriots will have a choice to make, surrender or live free or die!
Chief Nick says
It seems that the C-in-C (Cretin-in-Charge) has managed to hire a group of losers that almost make him look good. It may be hard to comprehend for Joe but the Taliban never cared one jot for pubic opinion and acceptance because they are set on controlling the world.
Meanwhile, Joe has managed to completely destabilize the Middle East in only 6 months. As more gifted writers than I have noted, Joe has “never ben right on foreign relations” and he obviously sees no reason to change. In fact, Joe is making Obama look smart when it comes to Foreign Relations.
Ever since JFK backed the Russians down about Cuba Democrats seem to feel that they are invincible when in the White House when in truth they are a joke. From Carter on, not one Democrat President has been competent much less brilliant, including RINO George W. Bush.
gravenimage says
I am no fan of Joe Biden, but the MIddle East–the Muslim part of it–has never been stable.
peter says
The people who support Biden are muslims from Pakistan ,which has a vested interest in keeping Taliban in power and the Pakistan ISI is providing all the support Taliban needs in terms of intelligence,arms and ammunition . Biden was awarded the highest civilian honor by Pakistan recently . It is payback time for Biden . China and Pakistan are working hand in glove to undermine undermine Afghanistan govt. I will look forward to the day the S.O.B is impeached.
gravenimage says
Yes, Peter–that award dates from 2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmXK2D70Oks&ab_channel=APArchive
peter says
Show me at least one occasion when Biden threatened any body . Being threatened by Biden is like being savaged by a sheep !
peter says
Graveimage ! Thank you .Soon after 911 George Bush went to a Mosque and said that Islam is a religion of peace and Juliani when he was running in the primaries for president said Islam is one of the greatest religions in the world .These were both following television interviews .I agree that there is no difference between Islamism and Islam . They are synonymous.