Speakers in Berlin traced how Germany’s rearmament, US-led violence abroad and the repression of solidarity at home are converging in a dangerous drive toward war. BEN CHACKO reports
Latest editorial
Six things you need to know about Afghanistan and the Taliban
When it comes to Afghanistan, the mainstream media hides the most inconvenient facts for the West, argues MARC VANDEPITTE
History repeats itself: A tank manned by Taliban fighters outside the presidential palace in Kabul in 1996, when it first seized the Afghan capital
Ahead of an important CND webinar, ULRIKE EIFLER argues that militarisation is not only draining social budgets — it is reshaping everyday life, preparing society for war and demanding a socialist response rooted in the labour movement
ALEX GORDON outlines the real battle for workers in Britain and Europe, to break the state capture by arms firms and the new finance-technology capitalists
As Holyrood sets the Budget, the gulf between rich and poor is wider than ever. PETER OLECH of Unite Community Scotland argues that only by taxing extreme wealth can we properly fund public services and deliver justice for working-class communities
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has little to do with self-determination and far more to do with strategy, offering Israel a potential military foothold near Yemen, says JE ROSENBERG
Statement of the Tudeh Party of Iran
1. Monstrous covenant with jihadis
THE story starts in 1979. Afghanistan had a left-wing government, which of course was not to the liking of the US. Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter’s adviser, devised the plan to arm and train jihadists – then still called mojahedin – in Afghanistan. The aim was to provoke a Soviet invasion, in order to saddle Moscow with a Vietnam-like scenario.
Carter followed his advice and provided the mojhedin the necessary help. The plan worked. The government in Kabul ran into difficulties and asked the Kremlin for help. The Afghan quagmire forced the Soviet Union to remain in the Central Asian country for 10 years.
Similar stories
One can only imagine what would happen if 2.2 million Palestinian refugees were pushed into Jordan, Egypt and other Arab countries, per Trump’s proposal, writes RAMZY BAROUD
By honestly telling Ukraine that it will not become a Nato member, Trump and Hegseth have opened the door to a possible end to the conflict but have also altered the political dynamic on both sides of the Atlantic, write MEDEA BENJAMIN and NICOLAS JS DAVIES
With its track record of leveraging cultural power for US gain and barely concealed promotion of coup attempts, the US Agency for International Development will not be mourned among the US’s southern neighbours, write JOHN PERRY and ROGER D HARRIS