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In Bizarre Alliance, Russia Teams With The Taliban In ISIS Fight

Tyler Durden's picture




 

The fight to check the spread of Islamic State in Afghanistan is making for some strange bedfellows. 

As we documented in “Russia Sends 10,000 AK-47s To Afghanistan As Government Mulls ‘Inviting’ Moscow To Help Fight ‘Terrorists’”, it’s become common knowledge in intelligence circles that Iran is arming and funding the Taliban. Although some say the weapons shipments date to at least 2007, Tehran hasn’t had the most amicable relationship with the insurgency, historically speaking. The Iranians are no fans of Sunni extremists and in 1998, Tehran threatened to destroy the Taliban in the space of "24 hours" in retaliation for the death of eight Iranian diplomats in Mazar-e-Sharif.

But between the US troop presence in Afghanistan and the rise of ISIS in the country, Iran’s interests are increasingly aligned with the insurgents. “Iran supplies us with whatever we need,” a Taliban commander told WSJ over the summer. “Afghan and Western officials say Tehran has quietly increased its supply of weapons, ammunition and funding to the Taliban, and is now recruiting and training their fighters, posing a new threat to Afghanistan’s fragile security,” The Journal wrote, adding that “Iran’s strategy in backing the Taliban is twofold, these officials say: countering U.S. influence in the region and providing a counterweight to Islamic State’s move into the Taliban’s territory in Afghanistan.”

In light of that assessment, we posed the following questions earlier this month"So who would Russia be fighting in Afghanistan if Moscow is invited and who will be on the receiving end of the 10,000 AKs and helicopter gunships Moscow is set to send to Kabul? If those weapons can help the Afghan military roll back ISIS in the country, will Tehran cut off its support for the Taliban once the group is no longer useful?" 

Now, we learn that the plot has thickened because as The Washington Post reports, the Russians are now sharing intelligence with the Taliban. Here's more:

A Kremlin official said Wednesday that Russia was exchanging information with the Taliban, the Islamist insurgency that the United States has been fighting in Afghanistan since 2001, as a bulwark against the spread of the Islamic State militant group in that country.

 

Zamir Kabulov, a Foreign Ministry department head and President Vladimir Putin's special representative for Afghanistan, told the Interfax news agency that “the Taliban interest objectively coincides with ours” in the fight against the Islamic State, which has captured broad swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq.

 

“I have already said earlier that we and the Taliban have channels for exchanging information,” Kabulov added, in remarks reported by Interfax and confirmed to The Washington Post by a ministry spokesman.

 

A limited partnership with the Taliban, which announced last week that it would send “special forces” to fight the Islamic State, is a striking, and somewhat confusing, twist in Russia’s war on terror. Although Russia plunged enthusiastically into its airstrike campaign against the Islamic State in Syria in September (critics say Russia is mainly there to prop up President Bashar al-Assad), Moscow has opposed the Taliban for more than a decade as a potential vehicle for terror and instability in the former Soviet Union.

 

Along with the Islamic State, the Taliban is on a Russian government list of terrorist organizations. Similar to the Islamic State, the Taliban is known for staging brutal public executions and imposing an extreme interpretation of Islamic law on the territories it has captured.

The Kremlin's US foreign policy critic extraordinaire Maria Zakharova assured the Post that cooperation between Moscow and insurgents was "limited" and confined to information sharing. 

Remember, the Taliban grew out of the ashes of the Soviet-Afghan war and in 1996, the group castrated and hung Mohammad Najibullah, the man Russia installed as the country's leader a decade earlier during the occupation.

In any event, the threat posed by ISIS apparently overshadows years of bad blood. 

Obviously, this raises quite a few interesting questions in addition to those mentioned above. As WaPo goes on to note, any weapons Moscow sends to Kabul will "probably be used against the Taliban, which this week launched an offensive aimed at a strategically important district in Helmand province." The Post is referring to the battle for Sangin, a town in Helmand province where some 2,000 Afghan forces have been killed or wounded in the past year.

So while Russia supplies the weapons the government uses against the Taliban, The Kremlin will at the same time share information with the insurgents. Additionally, it's worth noting that the US and the UK are of course on the ground fighting alongside the Afghan army. One can't help but wonder if the Russians, like their allies in Tehran, are secretly supporting the Taliban in an effort to make life difficult for the Western troops on the ground. 

In the end, this is further proof of our contention that the conflict in Syria is merely one theatre for a world war that's now being waged in at least four Mid-East states by at least ten countries and their proxies.

 

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Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:29 | 6960146 Glasnost
Glasnost's picture

One giant clusterfuck.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:33 | 6960151 TeamDepends
TeamDepends's picture

Wait, the enemy of my enemys' friend uh.......anyone got an abacus?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:47 | 6960183 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

 Middle East/ Russian politics really does make for strange bed fellows.

Then again, perhaps Putin is cutting a deal with the Taliban to take over the drug trade from the  CIA's ISIS pets,  jointly sharing the profits from the Afghani Opium Trade. The Taliban get rich, Putin has money to pay down the deficit, and if the EU pisses him off, Putin can cut off opium supplies resulting in millions of addicts going collectively batshit.

Heroin is much cheaper and easier to produce than oil and has a guaranteed long term growth profile.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:51 | 6960206 philipat
philipat's picture

Not that the US would ever get into such realtionships?

My feeling is that all this shit will come back to haunt the West for the next Hundred years or so, after (Hopefully) the neocons are all dead and gone. But the self-created clash of civilizations will remain...Islam is an inherently militant faith which will not co-exist, even if Obumboy will not "speak" it...

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:54 | 6960219 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

The Neocons/Neoliberal humanitarian bombers will never leave, even if it means destroying our entire world. 

If they end up in Hell, Satan will likely reward them with 72 virgin boys to bugger.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:58 | 6960239 philipat
philipat's picture

Or Kardashians? Same thing really but more cultutally appropriate?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:02 | 6960256 Sages wife
Sages wife's picture

"Programs! Get your program! Can't tell a _______ from a _______ without a program!"

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:28 | 6960361 knukles
knukles's picture

Why does that alliance not surprise me.  Lemme see ....
US "foes" Russia and Taliban ally against US supported terror group ISIS.

                                              Follow the Pipelines!
                        They're the temporal physical tell for the petro-dollar hegemony

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 14:10 | 6960744 WTFRLY
WTFRLY's picture

Joooooooooooooooooo World Orrrrrrrrrrder *in that Ricola voice*

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 14:23 | 6960769 HowdyDoody
HowdyDoody's picture

Russia also appears to have made a deal with ISIS-supporting Israel. Israel appears to have been given carte-blanche by the Russians to kill anyone attack Israel's ISIS goons in the Golan heights. The anyone includes Hezbollah and Syrian forces.

This is curious as Israel is the refining end of the ISIS oil laundering scheme run by the Kurdish Barzani clans, through Turkey, enabled by Erdogan's clan.

I guess Russia is OK with that as long as Russians are not harmed.

Israel will lose out big time financially once the oil flow is cut off. So what does Israel get out of this deal? Maybe Russia has agreed to recognize the Golan as legitmate Israel territory?

 

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:54 | 6960227 toady
toady's picture

If the US can ally with al Qaida russia can certainly ally with the Taliban. 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:04 | 6960264 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

Agreed. Russia and the Taliban working together can control the Opium Trade. I'll bet this is the CIA's worst nightmare, having to figure  out how to make money without dealing drugs.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 15:39 | 6960972 beemasters
beemasters's picture

The thing is, there are good Talibans and there are bad Talibans.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 16:26 | 6961106 Volkodav
Volkodav's picture

Yes, I wanted to explain that, but very hard to outline subject...

One thing, WIKI is not accurate on this subject.

Afghanistan allegiences complicated, what is shared is most all hate the US

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 15:16 | 6960917 Main_Sequence
Main_Sequence's picture

The Taliban are actually the good guys -- REAL freedom fighters defending their country from oil companies trying to build a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India (TAPI Pipeline) and getting fucked over in the process.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:51 | 6960212 Mr.Sono
Mr.Sono's picture

It's that or, he wants to cut Erdogans heroine profits. No more oil, no more drug money to Erdogan. Fucking brilliant.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:00 | 6960241 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

Taking the CIA of the Drug Trade in Afghanistan would be a great way to hammer the USSA in the Balls. Not only would the Neocons/Neoliberals  lose Trillions in Black Budget funds,  without the flow of funds from Narcotics, the Western Banks would  be brought to their knees. 

With the demise of the Petrodollars, bombs and drugs primarily remain to prop up the Fed Reserve  Ponzi Scheme.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:20 | 6960537 Chupacabra-322
Chupacabra-322's picture

Putin's a Genius. An Oligarch, but still a Genius. The Pure Evil CIA / IMF where they launder their drug money will definitely be bought to their collective knees.

Fuck the CIA & Fuck off!!

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:05 | 6960265 Lumberjack
Lumberjack's picture

My thoughts exactly. The Taliban ERADICATED the drug trade in Afghanistan until you know who showed up. Then it exploded and look at the mess we have here with heroin.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:21 | 6960328 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

On a more serious note, Putin working with the Taliban to curtail the Opium Drug trade would yield many benefits to both parties.

Benefits to Russia:

-slowing the growth of addicts in Russia due to deliberate dumping of Heroin into her markets.

-cutting off huge financial flows to enemies such as Turkey and the USSA.  If nothing else, the ability to destroy their drum pipelines would give Putin another major card to play against the Banksters.

Benefits to the Taliban:

-control of Afganistan, protected by a major power, allowing them to remove the Wahabi scum from their country.

-reducing the growth of new addicts within their own territories

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 14:02 | 6960696 Lumberjack
Lumberjack's picture

Then the US will have to bring democracy back to latin/south america to make up for the loss. The other obvious one is Indonesia SE/Asia. We both know that all are works in progress. China OTOH seems to be the stalking horse in the current geopolitical clusterfuck.  I feel that the Joint Chiefs would rather have (as I would and shown by removal of high ranking staff) made peace and alliances with russia as the China equation poses huge risks.

I do not like where all this is headed and can assure you that the so called 'NWO' must be shitting their pants right now.

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 14:45 | 6960842 Freddie
Freddie's picture

Just like the Boxer Rebellion.   Hopefully the Chinese have not forgotten how the Anglo-Zio banksters made Chinese opium addicts.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:36 | 6960612 Volkodav
Volkodav's picture

No  Russia wants it eliminated. Social costs terrible.

The drug trade are weapon used against Russia.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:54 | 6960230 KnuckleDragger-X
KnuckleDragger-X's picture

With the history of Afghanistan this isn't surprising. Nobody wins there, not even the Afghani's.....

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:01 | 6960252 KnightTakesKing
KnightTakesKing's picture

Can we say that things have finally gone full retard?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:05 | 6960268 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

What makes you believe that we were never full retard in the first place?  Every psychotic for example, thinks they are normal.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:36 | 6960171 Urban Redneck
Urban Redneck's picture

We're still a few surreal orgies and players short of the epic clusterfuck that was the Lebanese "Civil" War... but the new year beckons so perhaps 2017 will actually raise the bar.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:32 | 6960316 Kirk2NCC1701
Kirk2NCC1701's picture

More than a 'giant cluster fuck'.  It's an Obscenity.

1. If enemies become friends/allies, then WTF did all those soldiers die for a generation earlier? Russians died in Afghanistan, Americans in Vietnam, etc, etc.

2. All wars are bankster wars. Time to turn them into Musollini Piñatas.

3. The best thing for a periodic Reset, is to kill the Top 0.5% every 50 years. It's a lot faster, easier, cheaper and effective, w/o the messy collateral, than what is happening now.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:29 | 6960367 stant
stant's picture

Zh better get over to martin armstrongs site and read his latest .Oil in the Golan . Wrap your head around that and know what it means. End of days

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 14:43 | 6960828 Urban Redneck
Urban Redneck's picture

Excepted from something I posted earlier, before Marty's Commodore 64 finally caught up with me and then miscalculated the market....

4) The reason an inconsequential American energy company was granted the concession in the first place is precisely because of the composition of the advisory board and it's lobbying & influence capabilities, because THIS ISN'T ACTUALLY ABOUT MONEY OR EVEN OIL & GAS.  

It's about land rights, water, and security (Bibi's "existential" needs), and in order to fulfill those needs Israel needs the US to lean heavily on its vassals to support Israel's claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights (since the only other countries who will even deny Syria's claim much less support Irael's are Canada, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Palau). 

http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/92186-151112-us-official-whi...

---

This is about putting together a lobbying team more powerful than AIPAC, which has so far failed miserably to move the recognition needle in the US, much less the other countires required.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 16:00 | 6961034 stant
stant's picture

Is t that what wars are for?

Fri, 12/25/2015 - 02:35 | 6962422 mkhs
mkhs's picture

No, it is about whoring out your sister for a sack of beans and some rice.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:32 | 6960149 _ConanTheLibert...
_ConanTheLibertarian_'s picture

Taliban: CIA created

ISIS: CIA created

Russia is fuckup CIA. /boris

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:54 | 6960225 philipat
philipat's picture

Russia is just fine. About 16% Debt/GDP, real physical Gold reserves and a self-sustaining, self-reliant mind-set. Unlike some other places??

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:00 | 6960247 silverer
silverer's picture

Unlike most other places.  You are right on.  Just count the stupid moves by the US and NATO to keep score of who is really running out of "financial time".

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:01 | 6960255 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

Russians are natural born survivalists. They are used to getting fucked on a regular basis by the West, so they prepare accordingly.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:28 | 6960565 Volkodav
Volkodav's picture

Al-qaeda,etc.      not Taliban 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:42 | 6960170 JustObserving
JustObserving's picture

There is always a war going on.  Obama has unleashed a multispectrum war against Russia including a war on oil to bankrupt Russia.  Turkey was guided in the shootdown of the Russian military jet by US AWACs.  So Putin will use all available sources to resist Obama's war. This constant war engendered by the Neocons cannot but end badly

Bombshell: The Turkish Assault on Russia’s SU-24 was Guided by the US Air Force

A US Air Force Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS plane took off on 24 November from the Preveza airbase in Greece. A second E-3A of the Saudi Arabian air force took off from the Riyadh airbase. Both planes were executing a common task—determining the precise location of Russian aircraft. It is they that picked the “victim.”

http://www.globalresearch.ca/bombshell-the-turkish-assault-on-russias-su...

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:58 | 6960214 silverer
silverer's picture

Kind of hard to believe the US and NATO is "bankrupting Russia" while US debt to GDP is over 100% (technically the US is bankrupt), and Russia debt to GDP is 17%.  Also hard to believe Russia is bankrupt when it continues to buy large quantities of physical gold, reported purchase of 55 tons in the 3rd quarter.  That doesn't sound like the "bankrupt Russia" plan is working very well.  The US wants war in the worst way, to cover up the last 25 years of total evil and financial rape of the US population.  Watch the US Vaseline lovers rally to support war with Russia led by the pretty faces on MSM.  The war is really the US leadership and banksters vs the US population, except most of the US population doesn't realize it and apparently doesn't care.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:08 | 6960283 Colonel
Colonel's picture

"Watch the US Vaseline lovers rally to support war with Russia led by the pretty faces on MSM."

In other words Obumboy and Hitlery supporters.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:36 | 6960392 philosophers bone
philosophers bone's picture

Uh you left out Rubio, Bush, Christie, etc,?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:36 | 6960393 philosophers bone
philosophers bone's picture

Uh you left out Rubio, Bush, Christie, etc,?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:44 | 6960431 Colonel
Colonel's picture

Where's Code Pink now?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:32 | 6960550 Volkodav
Volkodav's picture

Russians do not spend money they do not have normally

Average Russian's economies make stark contrast to US normal excesses

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 14:27 | 6960798 HowdyDoody
HowdyDoody's picture

The normal military training budget is used to fund the acions in Syria. That is one very efficient use of funds for training.

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:42 | 6960192 silverer
silverer's picture

I would bet dollars to donuts Russia puts together something that works far better then anything the US ever dreamed up and tried.  One thing Russia has going for it is that virtually everyone in the middle east either hates or at the very least doesn't trust the US.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:42 | 6960417 nevertheless
nevertheless's picture

Because Washington is run by Zionist fanatics who are more dangerous than all these pissant jihadists put together. 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:18 | 6960536 Volkodav
Volkodav's picture

Taliban are not jihadists.

Taliban near complete shut down the poppy

Taliban interests are local to their lands

 

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 11:59 | 6960245 OregonGrown
OregonGrown's picture

If the USA can team up with ISIS.... why cant the Russians team up with the Taliban?  

Proxy war anyone?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:00 | 6960250 Jason T
Jason T's picture

Reminds me of the American Indians and all their alliances and so forth. 

Bury the Hatchet Bitchez.  

UN is supposed to stop all this shit.  so much for that.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:12 | 6960260 Jorgen
Jorgen's picture

'Enemy of my two enemies is my friend', so the 'alliance' is not so bizarre. It's just realpolitik so to speak.

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:38 | 6960408 nevertheless
nevertheless's picture

Your picture should not leave out Benny the Butcher Netanyahu...Obama would not wipe his nose without getting the OK from Tel Aviv...

 

Great picture, terrible souse. 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 14:35 | 6960813 HowdyDoody
HowdyDoody's picture

So ISIS-supporting Israel has placed the Star of David as Putin's badge of office? Israel is openly playing both sides, supporting the ISIS thugs guarding part of the Golan it covets while pretending to be a Good Guy on Putin's side.

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:04 | 6960266 two hoots
two hoots's picture

Not sure about a WW but West/East are both pissing on the ground hoping to mark/limit/control areas which  both have interest, rightly or wrongly.  Winners: not sure , loosers: 99.9%% of the worlds population. 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:30 | 6960287 paint it red ca...
paint it red call it hell's picture

What a convoluted cluster fuck.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:12 | 6960294 rwe2late
rwe2late's picture

 The Taliban have not been advocates of international jihad.

Their goals were more akin to a "nationalist" movement of the Pashtun.

The Taliban and Afghan Taliban government only became an enemy of the US because the US invaded Afghanistan

and allied with anti-Taliban (drug) warlords.

It is not surprising that the Taliban does NOT support ISIS wahabbists.

Unlike AlQaeda. the Taliban is not a CIA proxy, nor is CIA controlled,

but has origins as a Afghan/Pashtun independence movement.

(Yes, most Afghans are muslim, but that does not mean they are Wahabbist or international jihadists.)

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:29 | 6960366 TRM
TRM's picture

True and Russia is more than willing to work with others who've slighted them in the past and paid dearly for slighting Russia. Just ask the Hez fellows about the body parts incident. They probably saw that and said "next time we get these guys as allies".

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:15 | 6960305 22winmag
22winmag's picture

Even more evidence the Taliban "won."

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:24 | 6960344 NoWayJose
NoWayJose's picture

Back when the U.S. used to 'win' wars, the main strategy was to cut off an army, destroy its ability to re-supply, and destroy any ability to produce weapons. Putin still knows this, and is working on ISIS oil money. You can bet that Putin sees similar goals in Afghanistan.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:35 | 6960390 nevertheless
nevertheless's picture

though in Afghanistan, perhaps ISIS money comes from opium?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:34 | 6960359 zero_wedge
zero_wedge's picture

Sounds like a Mexican stand...  er... fuck it.

 

All the labels, uniforms, alliances, false flags, real flags, media lies, and what-have-you, is beyond confusing. Has there ever been a more confusing "war"? Is this all just to confuse the muppets?

How about shirts vs skins? 

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 12:44 | 6960437 JamaicaJim
JamaicaJim's picture

Will the REAL enemy please.....stand up......

 

oh wait....damn near EVERYONE is the "enemy"...........

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:05 | 6960494 Son of Captain Nemo
Son of Captain Nemo's picture

So while Russia supplies the weapons the government uses against the Taliban, The Kremlin will at the same time share information with the insurgents. Additionally, it's worth noting that the US and the UK are of course on the ground fighting alongside the Afghan army. One can't help but wonder if the Russians, like their allies in Tehran, are secretly supporting the Taliban in an effort to make life difficult for the Western troops on the ground.

Following the U.S./Israeli acts of terrorism...

Belsan 2004... South Ossetia 2008... Volgograd train bombings 2013.... Overthrow of the Ukraine government 2014... Violations of every major economic dealing including freezing of Russian assets abroad with Western banks2014 to present... U.S. involvement in the sabotage of Metrojet flight 9268 in Sinai 2015... murder of Russian SU-24 pilot 2015...

Yeah I'd say I'd want to fuck the U.S. up pretty good if I were the Russians... (speaking as an American if someone ewas doing the same to my Country)

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:09 | 6960514 Volkodav
Volkodav's picture

Confused yet?

Afghans that fought the Soviet have far more respect for Russians compared to later full invaders still there.

Then those Afghans whose moderate leader was murdered, after which the Soviets intervened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc2KeSkl5H0

Search photos of Kabul in 60's 70's of normal life while relationship with Soviet, before the

outside interferences supported the most radicals.

One decent book on this subject: 'Afgantsy'  Roderic Braitewaite

 

 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:15 | 6960527 kaboomnomic
kaboomnomic's picture

The article? START WITH THIS QUOTE:
"it’s become common knowledge in intelligence circles that Iran is arming and funding the Taliban."

Oh yeah!? WHICH INTELLIGENCE?? CIA??

- - -

Next the article quotes WSJ & WA-PO for A RELIABLE SOURCE for Kremlin's policies?? Without quoting a single Russian News/Blogs/Govt source??

- - -

Uhuh... Nice try DUDE! But next time? Try a MORE CONVINCING DELUSIONS for your article.

Fact:
1. Iran is SHIAH pole nation. Taleban is SUNNI. Don't understand this? Too bad! I won't explain it to you.

2. Taleban is THE MILITANTS than HATED SOCIET UNIONS so much.

3. It is true Russia sent Afghan govt (the AMERICAN CHOOSED AFGHAN PUPPETS GOVT. Not the taleban aides). Under contract FROM WHO'S??

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4408278

- - -

If you frequents reader of ZH? Would you still falls for US propaganda machine such as this article??

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:16 | 6960532 The Dogs of Moar
The Dogs of Moar's picture

Sounds like "What's sauce for the goose..." to me.  

The US is supplying weapons (Tows) and God knows what else to the so called 'moderate rebels' in Syria (which brought down a rescue helicopter and killed a Russian soldier the day of the Su-24 shoot down).

So why shouldn't the Kremlin play 'titnik for tatsky' in Afghanistan?

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:27 | 6960556 Genghis Kahn
Genghis Kahn's picture

Nothing confusing here if you look at things from this perspective. After the Russians pulled out of Afganistan the Taliban became a competitor to the Saudi's for the idealogical leadership of the Sunnis. This loss of absolute control frightened the House of Saud . The Saudi's could not be seen to fight Sunni's, hence the invasion of Afganistan by the petrodollar protectors. Russia, Iran and Syria know this. Supporting the Taliban divides the Sunni's and increases the pressure on the US.  Two birds with one stone.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:28 | 6960568 The Dogs of Moar
The Dogs of Moar's picture

If this is true ...

One can't help but wonder if the Russians, like their allies in Tehran, are secretly supporting the Taliban in an effort to make life difficult for the Western troops on the ground. 

then one must also wonder if the Afghanistan military and the government in Kabul are really singing off the same page. 

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:29 | 6960578 roadhazard
roadhazard's picture

But of course.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:40 | 6960624 Herdee
Herdee's picture

The CIA won't like it because the Taliban will once again eliminate the secret CIA heroin trade.That'll mean less money for the CIA overthrowing and bribing foreign governments.NeoCons don't like this,they support ISIS along with the Head-Choppers following the King of Saudi Arabia.

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 13:52 | 6960663 WTFUD
WTFUD's picture

Everyone in the Barry/Neo/ZATO fold knows that moderate terowists wear lighter coloured smocks as opposed to the jet black one's of DAESH. sarin, er, sarc

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 15:16 | 6960916 HowdyDoody
HowdyDoody's picture

The US MIC has now faced another embarassment.

"For the first time in the world, an attack on a fortified area of militants was conducted by battle robots. In the province of Latakia, army units of the Syrian army, with the support of Russian specialists and Russian combat robots, took the strategic tower of "Syriatel" 754m in height.

In the attack on the tower, six robotic complex "Platform-M" and four complex "Argo" were used. A friendly robot was recently deployed to Syria featuring self-propelled artillery installations (SAU) "acacia" that can destroy enemy positions."

http://fortruss.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/syrian-army-use-military-robots-m...

Thu, 12/24/2015 - 16:53 | 6961190 mantrid
mantrid's picture

more frenemies!

Fri, 12/25/2015 - 08:26 | 6962669 honestann
honestann's picture

If this story is essentially true and complete, this might be the first sign that Russia (and soon China) realize the best way to defeat the USSA is to bankrupt them.

This has two parts.  First, get more people in the world to transact more biz in non-dollars.  Second, get the USSA to waste dollars like crazy (which the USSA already does in spades even without encouragement).

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