by Stephen Lendman

America came to Afghanistan to stay. Occupation is permanent. So is endless war.

Washington’s December 2014 ceremonial end of over 13 years of war was phony, a thinly veiled PR stunt - including Obama saying “our combat mission in Afghanistan is ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible end.”

Naked aggression was planned long before 9/11 - despite bin Laden and Taliban officials having nothing to do with what happened. US state-sponsored terrorism bore full responsibility. Endless US regional wars continue. So does America’s combat mission in Afghanistan. Obama lied saying it ended.

On Monday, Taliban forces captured Kunduz, Afghanistan’s northern capital, a former Taliban stronghold, after besieging the city for months, embarrassing the US-controlled Ashraf Ghani puppet regime. It promised to counterattack.

Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said Kunduz “collapsed into the hands of the Taliban.” Government forces fled in the face of their advance.

UN staff were evacuated before they arrived. Taliban officials issued a statement online, saying:

“Mujahedeen are not thinking of harassing or deriding anyone but have intentions of respecting and bringing serenity to their lives. Mujahedeen are not thinking about retribution but have come with a message of peace.”

Taliban fighters seized regime buildings, a local hospital, Kunduz airport, and freed hundreds of prisoners. The city is about 150 miles north of Kabul near Tajikistan’s border. It’s a major northern transportation hub.

Thousands of US troops remain in Afghanistan despite Obama claiming an end to Washington’s combat role. On Tuesday, US warplanes struck Taliban positions around Kunduz.

NATO spokesman/US Army Colonel Brian Tribus said “US forces conducted an air strike in Kunduz today to eliminate a threat to coalition and Afghan forces operating in the vicinity of Kunduz.” He provided no further details.

Afghan troops launched a counterattack. Reuters quoted State Department spokeswoman Katy Bondy saying “(t)he situation remains fluid, and we are continuing to follow the situation closely.”

She said nothing about America’s bombing attack it prefers not discussing. It’s hard concealing. US media reported it, providing few details. It’s unclear where things stand at the moment. Battles take time to unfold.

Years of US aggression haven’t deterred Taliban fighters from trying to regain control of their country. Afghan civilians suffer most - victims of US imperial policy.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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