Well, I’m here after all. Had to bail out on the concert in the park today — logistical problems — but managed to trade off for tickets to a later performance of the same Savannah Philharmonic . . . indoors, in the historic Lucas Theatre. Today is disappointing, but there’s something else to look forward to. C’est la vie.

So, let’s see what’s going on in the world that I might otherwise have missed out on.

Oh, here’s a good one: Vladimir Putin has decided that the Taliban is not a terrorist organization. All right, then!

In fact, Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, has announced that a decision to remove the Taliban from Russia’s list of terrorist organizations has been “taken at the highest level,” and will be codified with the appropriate legal procedures. [Mark Trevelyan, Anastasia Teterevleva and Charlotte Greenfield, Reuters, October 4, 2024.]

I’m not sure how the women of Afghanistan would feel about that, but apparently that’s irrelevant since their voices aren’t allowed to be heard in public in any event . . .

Anyway, this is just one more step in Russia’s increasingly normalized relations with Afghanistan’s current rulers, whom Putin considers an ally in the fight against terrorism.

What??!!! Those poor Afghani women aren’t terrorized? Really?!! “Terrorism” isn’t limited to blowing up buildings in other countries, you know.

While no country in the world has formally recognized the Taliban as the country’s legitimate leadership, Russia has been increasing its ties with them since they seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, when U.S. forces withdrew. Acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi recently said in a speech in Moscow that they welcome recent decisions by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan removing the Taliban from their lists of banned groups, adding:

“We also appreciate the positive remarks by the high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation in this regard and hope to see more effective steps soon.” [Id.]

At the meeting in Moscow with Muttaqi and representatives of neighboring countries yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that it was important to maintain “pragmatic dialogue” with the current Afghan government, i.e., the Taliban:

“It is obvious that it is impossible to solve problems or even discuss an Afghan settlement without Kabul.

”Moscow will continue its course on developing political, trade and economic ties with Kabul.” [Id.]

Lavrov further offered his unsolicited opinion that the United States should return “confiscated assets” to Afghanistan, and that the West should accept responsibility for “post-conflict reconstruction” of the country. [Id.] He didn’t specify which “conflict” he meant: Russia’s invasion in 1979 and its subsequent ten-year, unsuccessful battle against the Mujahideen; or the American ousting of the Taliban and the peace-keeping presence that followed.

And despite that ten-year Russian incursion, and the recent attacks on Russian soil by Islamist militants groups associated with Afghanistan, Lavrov praised the current Afghan leadership — without specifically naming the Taliban — for its efforts in fighting the Islamic State. [Id.]

I do wish they’d get their stories straight.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/5/24