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It's a totally different world when it comes to men/women relations there.
To me the women there come across as more capricious, commanding and demanding ( if given an opportunity,) but they thrive on seduction - it's a natural thing for them.
If women feel their seductive power, they are unlikely to be contenders for the "men's role."
I mean look even at Russia - that's the whole different world in this respect too...
I've never known a ME woman. I watched the video of feminism and really only one of the ladies she talked to were older. I know Russian women can take care of themselves and can be as crazy as any guy. I've seen them beat guys into the gutter for getting handsy. Alex my BIL knows that you never drink so much that you can't defend yourself if you come home late at night after missing a very important event.
The girls seemed intelligent but just not wise in the ways of the world. Both my daughters are/were feminists but they are not haters of men as many are here in the west. They say the latest brand is toxic and not worth even considering.
Earlier this year, when Gazprom fulfilled its gas deliveries to Europe per long-term contracts, it was not enough to fill Europe’s empty storage and prepare it for winter. Ukraine immediately took the opportunity to accuse Moscow of “blackmail,” but the EU, in an unusual move, disagreed.
So, Europe resents Russian gas for the influence it gives a country that the EU considers unfriendly, to put it mildly, but at the same time, it is increasingly thirsty for gas because of a prolonged winter last year that drained its reserves. That winter was unfortunately followed by a busy Asian summer that saw LNG cargoes getting diverted from Europe to Asia because Asian buyers were ready to pay higher prices. And here comes the twist: even if the attempts to stop Nord Stream 2 fail, the new pipe will not lead to an increase in European gas deliveries from Russia.
The reason is simple: whenever the pipeline starts, Gazprom’s planned deliveries to Europe for full-2021 are set at 183 billion cubic meters. And with or without Nord Stream 2, this figure will remain unchanged, the state company said at the end of August. The new pipe could ship an additional 5.6 billion cubic meters, the head of Gazprom’s finance department said during an earnings call. But this won’t make a big difference.
So, is Russia already wielding the gas weapon that the EU and Ukraine have feared for years? That may well be the case, according to some observers, per a recent article by Energy Intelligence’ Vitaly Sokolov. On the other hand, Gazprom is sticking to its long-term contract commitments to Europe, so it would be difficult to accuse the company of deliberately cutting supplies. There are no cuts.
This cooperation comes only natural - this should have been expected under the circumstances.
While Russia is concerned over spreading of the radical Islam in the Central Asia, India is concerned about the old conflict in Kashmir; the resurrection of Islamic violence there, with the help of Pakistan.
So the alliances are forming in the region within the logical lines.
Meanwhile, the first *international flight* from Oman landed in Kabul.
I am pretty sure that the Arab Gulf nations will make an attempt to legitimize Taliban's government as soon as possible.
The leaders of the Panjshir tribes were never in the country during the supposed armed resistance. They knew it was just a bluff.
Tajikistan seems to have become a sanctuary for retreating Afghan warlords. But will it become a base for mounting anti-Taliban resistance? Unlikely. Russia’s stance will be crucial. Admittedly, Moscow played a dubious role fuelling the Panjshir revolt.
What role EXACTLY Moscow played in "fuelling the Panjshir revolt"?
I'd like to know that.
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But Taliban and Pakistan are in a forgiving mood, and the good thing is that Russia always knows which side of the bread is buttered.
And what "side of the bread" is supposedly "buttered" for Russia?
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The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is already toying with the idea of accepting the Taliban’s special invite for the announcement of their government. One happy solution would be that Moscow provide a lavish decadent life in exile for these immensely rich Afghan warlords,
What "rich Afghan warlords" exactly?
Wouldn't that be Taliban first of all?
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and thereby generate some equity vis-a-vis the Taliban. It is a familiar Russian tactic in the Central Asian steppes.
What is "Russian tactic" in the Central Asian steppes exactly?
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Russia’s main dilemma, however, remains: If the Taliban stabilise the situation in northern Afghanistan and tighten up border security, the threat perceptions in Central Asia, which currently borders on xenophobia, would recede.
How can it "recede," when Taliban means spread of the radical Islam in Central Asia, and further in Caucasus?
And "stabilization" that Taliban brings in the area means exactly that.
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Now, Russia’s grip over Central Asian states is directly linked to its role as provider of security. The more secure those countries feel, the less will be their dependence on Moscow.
What "security" even means in this case?
How much Tadjik ( or Uzbek) governments want their countries to radicalize? ( Ditto same question is about their populations.)
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Quite obviously, the Taliban are savvy enough to understand all this. Therefore, a consolidation of the Taliban’s grip on northern Afghanistan is to be expected.
No they actually come across as stubborn idiots that they are, who are not willing to adjust and make concessions in order to be recognized as legitimate government.
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Taliban knows that this is China’s concern too.
Obviously, for the Chinese it's all about money and lucrative deals.
The Chinese are not going to invest, unless this new government is recognized internationally and is stable politically enough. Which doesn't seem to be a case at all.
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Like Russia, the United States is also hyping up the spectre of civil war in Afghanistan. Both are stakeholders, in a manner of speaking, in a civil war, since their interference in Afghanistan is dependent on unstable conditions.
Actually, it's the other way, when it comes to Russia.
The last thing Russia wanted was to see yet another war in Afghanistan.
Although Russians were quite happy to see Americans gone, they were looking forward to more flexible and reasonable Taliban, that would be able to "stabilize Afghanistan" and Russians would be happy with it. ( Putin initially said that "it's better to have Taliban, it's better that you have someone at least to talk to, instead of many fractions going at war with each other."
Instead, Russians apparently see the same belligerent terrorists that they saw before.
Not the kind of people who can "stabilize the country" at last.
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However, unlike Russia and the US, Iran’s unhappiness with the Taliban’s assault on Panjshir is authentic — based on its ethnic and cultural affinities with the Afghan Sunni Tajiks who account for somewhere between 25-30 percent of the population.
But they are the majority in that particular region of Afghanistan.
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However, Iran’s core constituency is the Hazara Shia and Taliban will accommodate its concerns. Any expectation that Iran may gang up with Russia to fuel an anti-Taliban resistance will remain a pipe dream. Iran has huge stakes in Afghanistan’s stability. Border security is a core concern.
You can't have "stability" when 48% of the country doesn't have representation in the government at all. ( Speaking about all the ethnic groups that are not part of ethnic Pushtuns, that Taliban basically represents. They comprise about 52% of population.
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Above all, Taliban is no longer an adversary for Tehran, which is already looking for economic opportunities in Afghanistan. Connectivity through northern Afghanistan to Uzbekistan and Central Asia is a strategic project, as its partnership with China is poised to expand by leaps and bounds once the 25-year, $400 billion economic pact gets activated. Above all, Tehran shares China’s geopolitical concerns, especially to keep the Americans out of Afghanistan. Iran is becoming a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization mechanism and it now has added leverage to give traction to dealings with the Taliban government.
Indeed, the US is frantic that other countries (except lackeys like the UK or Australia and Canada) may eventually begin to deal with the Taliban government.
Like who?
Quatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates?
THESE countries?
What a surprise.
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Washington wants to prevent that happening by hyping up scaremongering and scripting false narratives casting the Taliban government in poor light. Up to a point, this may work, but a strategy based on negativism is an inherently flawed one.
"False narrative?"
"Negativism?"
Did you look at what kind of people Taliban put in their government, their background?
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Without doubt, Taliban have the ISIS in its crosshairs. But, arguably, if the extent of state patronage that ISIS enjoyed is no longer available, it may cease to be a magnet for radical Afghan elements. Again, with the end of foreign occupation, Afghanistan is done with ‘jihad’. Taliban has shown the skill to assimilate extremist elements if they are reconcilable as well as the ruthlessness to eliminate recalcitrant troublemakers.
By now I already start laughing.
No, really)))
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Removing all conceivable alibi for foreign intervention will be a top priority for Taliban leadership. But Taliban is not a revanchist movement. In the Taliban folklore, what took place was a national liberation struggle to rid the motherland of colonization. Importantly, the trajectory of the Taliban’s relationship with China is linked to its success in curbing the terrorist groups. And Taliban attributes the highest importance to China’s goodwill and all-round support.
"The FBI calls Sirajuddin “a specially designated global terrorist” with close ties to the al-Qaeda but the charges against him are unsubstantiated and remain vaguely worded. Thus, Sirajuddin is “wanted for questioning in connection with the January 2008 attack on a hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed six people, including an American citizen. He is believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan. Haqqani also allegedly was involved in the planning of the assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2008.”
Yeah, that's one hell of "stability" coming to Afghanistan.
No wonder Patrushev got on the plane to India, *as soon as.*
P.S. Uh-oh, it's not just Patrushev that headed to India, but both heads of the British intelligence and CIA went there too.
The difference is - no statements from the latter ones, and they proceeded to Pakistan afterwords.
Patrushev was the only one making everything official in terms of signing agreements with India.
No wonder Russia was not invited, when Pakistan organized its own "regional conference."
Totally agree here; they have total contempt for each other's culture. The nature of this "unholy alliance" is totally "transactional."
( The interesting background here of the history of the "silk rout," and why withdrawal of the US troops opens up that "old rout" and the way for the Chinese expansionism.
What I DON'T agree with, is that the Chinese involvement in Afghanistan would pave a way to the "traditional hostilities towards the "outsiders."
Because this time around, it will be the Taliban itself inviting ( and thus guarding) the Chinese.
And since the Taliban ( and those supporting them) are the source of violence, it will be absent by now, since the Taliban want the Chinese money.
Their overlords in the rich Arab countries will give them OK for this move I'm sure.
The potential "unholy alliance" describes it all perfectly well.
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