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Taliban's Illusion of Exceptions

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  The Taliban’s Illusion of Exception. On August 16, the Taliban mark their so-called “victory day” in Afghanistan. They present themselves as an exception to Afghan history, claiming permanence where others failed. Yet the history of this land tells a different story — one in which rulers, no matter how powerful, are ultimately forced to flee. Nearly two centuries ago, on August 3, 1839, Amir Dost Mohammad Khan abandoned Kabul and fled north toward Bukhara. His flight came after the British, fearing his growing ties with Russia, backed his rival Shah Shuja and marched him into Afghanistan with British forces. Kabul fell, and Dost Mohammad had no choice but to escape. His downfall was not only a matter of battlefield defeat but also the result of great-power politics and internal weakness — forces that have toppled Afghan rulers again and again. Shah Shuja himself did not escape this fate. On April 5, 1842, he was killed while trying to flee the country by supporters of Wazir Akb...
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The Panama Papers vs Afghan Papers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wahab-raofi/the-panama-papers-when-wi_b_9692664.html     By Wahab Raofi   The Panama Papers scandal triggered tsunami waves of shock throughout the world’s media, as if this were an unprecedented event. It is not. The concealment of fortunes, often acquired through illicit means by corrupt politicians, world leaders and powerful individuals, has long been commonplace. But perhaps the light shined by the Panama Papers could lead to actual reform. We can only hope. Within the 11.5 million leaked documents are implications that 12 current or former world leaders, as well as 128 other politicians and public officials, engaged in various potential financial crimes. This information comes from an anonymous hack of a Panama law firm which apparently has been shielding secret fortunes for almost 40 years. But before Panama, the places to go for secret offshore accounts were Dubai, Hong Kong and ...
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Who Does Afghanistan Belong to? It's an Unsolved Problem

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  Who Does Afghanistan Belong To? It’s an Unsolved Struggle By Wahab Raofi   Forty-five years ago this Christmas Eve, Soviet tanks crossed into Afghanistan, launching a decade-long occupation and a cataclysm that would shape the country for generations. Since then, Afghanistan has been portrayed as a land condemned to perpetual bloodshed — a so-called “graveyard of empires,” trapped in endless conflict.   This belief in the country’s intractability has hardened not only a war-weary population, but also the minds of global leaders.   After two decades of Western military and political engagement, the verdict echoed that of the Soviet Union when it spent time and treasure on a war deemed unsolvable. American presidents have been unusually candid in expressing this view, with one dismissing Afghanistan one of “ Hellholes ” Yet this fatalism — born of repeated intervention and failure — rests on a profound misdiagnosis.   Afghanistan’s confli...
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