Below are reactions from the PCOF (Communist Party of the Workers of France) and the ICMLPO (International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations) to the US withdrawl from Afghanistan and the return to power of the Taliban. The PCOF article was translated by someone else. This is also the 600th post.
The PCOF editorial was originally posted at: www.pcof.net/communique-sur-le-retrait-us-dafghanistan/
Afghanistan
20 twenty years of imperialist war "against terrorism" were 20 years of war against the peoples of Afghanistan
Twenty years after the start of the war by US imperialism and its allies, including French imperialism, against Afghanistan, the Taliban, the very ones who were driven from power, in a few weeks took control of the country and the capital, Kabul.
The war in Afghanistan marked the beginning of the "wars against terrorism" that have claimed millions of victims (in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Mali, Sahel, etc.), destroyed several countries, profoundly destabilized entire regions, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, etc. Everywhere that the imperialist powers were engaged, they devoted trillions to these wars ($2,000 billion for the USA), accelerating the militarization of their economies and strengthening the police states against all peoples, including "their own" peoples.
The images showing human groups of Afghans, desperately trying to cling to the sides of US jumbo jets taking off from Kabul airport, to evacuate US civilian personnel and others, are emblematic of the chaos that the imperialist powers are leaving behind, after more than 14 years of war of mass destruction (2001-2014). But the "fiasco" of this hasty departure is only one aspect of the total failure of these policies of war carried out by the imperialist powers. Failure to respond to the objectives fraudulently put forward, such as "freeing Afghan women" or "ensuring peace and the protection of civilian populations". As for "the establishment of democracy", the peoples of Afghanistan have known only puppet, corrupt regimes, most of whose leaders have fled in the face of the advance of the Taliban.
These imperialist wars do not care about the peoples: the one in Afghanistan had a "pronounced smell of oil", of a desire to transform this country into a stronghold of the interests of the USA and its allies in this strategic area in the heart of Asia. They have failed militarily and politically, but they will not abandon these objectives and are worried about the actions of the other imperialist powers – Russia, China – of regional powers – Iran, Pakistan, India – who are negotiating with the Taliban who are returning to power whose influence they want to contain.
Like all those who have denounced this war and who have taken to the streets in tens of millions in very many capitals, we have denounced it and we have denounced the participation of French imperialism. We do not forget that it was Sarkozy who decided to send significant reinforcements of French troops to Afghanistan, at the same time as he committed to the return of France to all NATO bodies (2009).
Since 2012, there have been no more French troops on the ground, at the same time as Obama began the withdrawal of US troops. 2012 is also the beginning of the war in Mali, with Operation Serval in 2013, followed by Operation Barkhane in 2014. It is the continuation of the same reactionary war policy, in another context.
Today, Macron is taking it up again, insisting on the need to continue "the war against terrorism". He is particularly concerned about the "flows of irregulars" who will try to flee Afghanistan. He was keen to lend his support to Biden and the USA, without which the 6 to 800 people who "worked for France" could not be evacuated.
We will continue to demand the total withdrawal of French troops and military bases from Mali and the Sahel.
We will continue to defend the right of peoples to decide their future, without imperialist interference.
We will continue to denounce the policy of war against terrorism.
Paris, August 17, 2021
Communist Party of the Workers of France
www.pcof.net – pcof@pcof.net - Facebook.com/PartiCommunistedesOuvriersdeFrance/
The ICMLPO statement is also posted in English and Turkish at: cipoml.net/
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN PROVES ONCE AGAIN THAT THE IMPERIALISTS CANNOT BE TRUSTED!
Dramatic events are taking place in Afghanistan for the workers and people.
The Taliban have militarily occupied the country, including Kabul, its capital. The puppet government supported by the US and the imperialist countries of Western Europe fled quickly and shamefully. In reality, it was the North Americans themselves who withdrew their troops and gave the green light to the advance of the Taliban.
All Afghan government officials and all people and forces who have had a relationship with the imperialists are fearing for their lives and fleeing in terror.
All those who are not supporters of Sharia law, and especially women, are helpless in the face of Taliban violence.
The mass emigration from Afghanistan, which began a month ago following the announcement of the withdrawal of the U.S. imperialists, has reached a high peak with the tragic scenes seen when the Taliban entered Kabul. People are doing their best to escape their own country. The Kabul airport is overflowing with people. There have been deaths of people who have fallen from the undercarriage of planes, which they grabbed onto in order to escape the country. Cars heading to Iran and Tajikistan have caused pile-ups on the highways.
The reason for all this misfortune is the simultaneous dissolution of the collaborator regime, when the withdrawal of U.S. imperialism paved the way for the Taliban to seize power while the people were disorganized and defenseless. The mass migration that has been directed towards Turkey via Iran for some time now will begin to slow down when the Taliban begin to control the borders, but the drama in Afghanistan will not stop.
The United States is on its way out, abandoning large sections of its collaborators who fear for their lives.
This is not the first time that the imperialists have done this. U.S. imperialism also abandoned its collaborators in Vietnam after the victory of the national liberation forces. They do not concern themselves with what they leave behind or with the hardships to which the peoples have been forced; the only thing they are interested in is plundering the wealth of the peoples and supremacy in the struggle against their rivals for hegemony.
It has been shown once again that the imperialists cannot be trusted. It was just yesterday that they armed and organized the Taliban. Once the latter declared that they "have interests of their own" and acted against the United States, imperialism began the fight against them. Once again, they came to an agreement and abandoned it.
Neither the USA, or any imperialist power, considers the good of any country in which it intervenes directly or through its 'collaborators'; they do not seek to defend democracy, but to impose their power to oppress the peoples and plunder their natural resources. In the exercise of their interventionist policy, they act alongside the most reactionary cliques, the powerful local economic groups, the kings and warlords.
Following the departure of the USA and its European imperialist allies from Afghan territory, other imperialist and capitalist powers, such as Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, are talking about establishing good diplomatic and political relations with the Taliban regime, in a clear demonstration of occupying the abandoned space and strengthening their positions in world geopolitics.
The Afghan people are facing an ultra-reactionary confessional government; the fight for the rights of the workers, women and children is a fundamental demand; despite the fact that the Taliban say they will respect the rights of the population, particularly women, facts have already shown otherwise. The struggle of this people to achieve social and national emancipation today has bread, freedom and democracy as important banners of struggle.
The ICMLPO calls on the workers and peoples of the world to denounce the complicity of the imperialist powers with the tragic events taking place today in Afghanistan, and to raise solidarity with that people.
Coordinating Committee
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