News and Analysis 8/29/21

“[I]deology is going to have to take a backseat if the Taliban government is to survive” …:

• The Taliban Talks a Lot About Sharī‘a — but How Much Does that Really Tell Us About How They Will Govern? (ABC)

… but Biden’s withdrawal of American diplomats from Kabul guarantees no American influence, at least in the short run:

• Biden to Withdraw U.S. Diplomatic Staff from Afghanistan as Future Relationship with the Taliban Remains Unclear (Washington Post)

After rubber-stamping the U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem, opposing the ICC “investigation into Israeli actions, and … [conflating] criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish bigotry,” Biden recommits to apartheid and settler-colonialism:

• Israel’s Prime Minister Is Not Seeking a Reset. He Just Wants More Cover for Apartheid and Colonization (Washington Post)

Biden tows the Israeli line on Iran:

• Bennett ‘Happy’ as Biden Touts ‘Other Options’ Against Iran (Aljazeera)
• Top Iran Security Official Says Biden Illegally Threatened Tehran (Reuters)
• Iran’s Khamenei Says Biden ‘No Different’ from Trump on Nuclear Deal (France 24)

The mainstream media routinely ignores Israeli atrocities, most shamefully the murder of children:

• AP Ignores Israel’s Brutality in Its Morning Wire (If Americans Knew)
• Shackled, Beaten, Strung Up on a Tree: Palestinian Teen Brutally Attacked by Settlers (If Americans Knew)
• Israel’s Killing of Palestinian Children: ~80 So Far in 2021 (If Americans Knew)

The Taliban and Iran are sectarian enemies, but their common anti-imperialist agenda makes them likely allies:

• Iran and the Taliban: Fast Friends or Fierce Foes? (National Interest)

ImadadDean