THE news that the United States and Britain are going to the United Nations security council to push for UN sanctions against 18 top Taliban leaders to be lifted, means only one thing – US and British imperialism have suffered a humiliating defeat in Afghanistan and are desperate to get their troops out of the country. They have surrendered!
These sanctions, which were imposed by the UN in 1999 when the Taliban controlled the country, were designed to keep these leaders locked in the country where they could be hunted down and killed, thus beheading the movement and paving the way for an imperialist victory and the establishment of their puppet government.
This plan has now been abandoned as the imperialist forces of Nato have failed miserably to subdue and defeat the Afghan people and have become bogged down in an unwinnable war that is costing the US $6.7 billion a month.
The usual nonsense has been trotted out by the two governments about this move to lift sanctions being designed to send a ‘clear signal’ to the Taliban that they can be ‘reintegrated’ into Afghan society if they stop fighting.
In fact this move, along with Cameron’s decision to pull out 450 UK troops by the end of the year with further cuts to follow, sends out only one message – the imperialists have been comprehensively defeated.
All the talk of reintegration is hogwash and the imperialists know it.
As soon as they pull out, the Karzai regime in Kabul will collapse like a pack of cards leaving the Taliban in charge.
But the effects of this defeat will be felt throughout the region.
Defeat in Afghanistan also represents a defeat for US imperialism in its fight to control Pakistan and it leaves the Pakistani military government exposed to the insurgent masses within the country.
In fact, this defeat marks a forced retreat by imperialism from the entire region and as such is an enormous blow on behalf of workers and masses internationally who are in the same fight against an increasingly desperate drive by imperialism to re-conquer the world to stave off capitalist collapse.
These moves by the US and Britain have not gone down well with the military – they are not fooled by talks of negotiated settlements and can recognise a rout when they see one.
The top military brass are screaming for no troop reductions for the next two years on the grounds that all their ‘gains’ will be wiped out immediately.
What the generals apparently do not recognise is that imperialism has other even more serious calls on its murderous capabilities.
Where will these troops go next is the question.
Most likely they are being pulled out to be used in regions that imperialism regards as vital to its survival, namely the Middle East and North Africa.
Already the game plan of Nato to bomb the Libyan people into submission has failed miserably and the next step of sending in troops on the ground has started.
Already, UK special forces, thinly disguised as ex-SAS mercenaries, are operating on the ground in Libya, a prelude to a full-scale invasion.
Most significantly, these troops will now become available to confront the ruling class’ main enemy, the working class at home, whose throat it is desperate to cut.
The international crisis of capitalism drives the ruling class to declare war on its own working class. This is why it is pulling out of Afghanistan. Its army is going from the frying pan into the fires of revolution, where it will be incinerated.
