Alec Hogg: US blunder hands Afghanistan to Taliban

When 9/11 triggered the American-led invasion of Afghanistan, it was justified because the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban, which controlled 90% of the country, refused to hand over Twin Towers-plotter Osama Bin Laden. Over the weekend, weeks short of the invasion's 20th anniversary on October 7, the Taliban completed its victory by taking the capital of Kabul, just one week after starting its lightning offensive..US president Joe Biden is being universally blamed for his country's astonishing humiliation which American commentators say only ranks behind Vietnam. He is accused of having blundered with an ill-conceived, overly hasty and consequently calamitous withdrawal that's turned into a rout of the US and its Western aligned allies..The Editorial Board of The Wall Street Journal describes "Biden's Afghanistan Surrender" and a statement over the weekend absolving himself of blame, as "one of the most shameful in history" by a US Commander-in-Chief. The editorial is currently the WSJ's best read opinion piece – here's the link..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.Not surprisingly, the WSJ's top three stories this morning are all related to what is being described as "Hanoi on steroids…" Click on the headlines below to access:.* Taliban seize power in Afghanistan.* How the Taliban overran the Afghan Army, built by the US over 20 years.* Biden's Afghanistan exit raises questions about his foreign policy record. .On the pandemic, two excellent pieces were published in The London Sunday Times over the weekend – I'm a subscriber and find the R200 a month to deliver excellent value, particularly now that the English soccer season has kicked off. You can also access the two stories through the free trial option..The first unpacks how China meticulously planned and subsequently achieved control of the World Health Organisation with disastrous consequences for the world after the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020. You'll find the results of research on this subject by the London Sunday Times's respected Insight investigative team by clicking here. Insight has been delivering the goods since exposing the Profumo scandal in 1963. This surely among its best work..The second London Sunday Times contribution will give any rational thinker pause over the vaccine debate. Headlined "Golden Jabs: how the vaccine giants are cashing in on Covid", the story is summed up in the graphic above (click on it to access article) which raises the obvious incentive for vaccine manufacturers to propagate their narrative. For context, vaccine maker Johnson & Johnson was the main player in the US's record $26bn Opiods settlement while Pfizer has paid penalties exceeding $4.5bn in the past two decades for an astonishing 71 offences, surpassed only by GlaxoSmithKline ($9.8bn)..NB FOR YOUR WALL STREET JOURNAL ACCESS….As a Premium subscriber you are entitled to full membership of wsj.com (normal price $29 a month). Be sure to action your access through the Premium link on the BizNews website. Because of The Wall Street Journal's credential requirements, be sure to create a password which has at least 8 characters and includes at least one letter and one number – NB it MAY NOT contain any special characters (ie #, !, @ etc). To maintain access to WSJ.com, you MUST enter our partner's website via BizNews Premium at least once a month. A final PS, if you had previously signed up for WSJ you'll need to clear the cookies from your device. Our help desk can assist – support@biznews.com.

Alec Hogg: US blunder hands Afghanistan to Taliban

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