Gareth Porter talks about the U.S. military's efforts to sabotage any attempt at leaving Afghanistan. The deal negotiated by the Trump administration made both the conditions and deadlines for withdrawal clear—but almost immediately, the military began claiming that the Taliban was somehow in violation of the agreement, and that America had to stay. Sadly very few people in power are willing to drastically change the situation in Afghanistan, and it looks increasingly likely that the Biden administration will simply try to stay the course.

Discussed on the show:

"How the US military subverted the Afghan peace agreement to prolong an unpopular war" (The Grayzone)

"Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops, Intelligence Says" (The New York Times)

"A Secret Accord With the Taliban: When and How the U.S. Would Leave Afghanistan" (The New York Times)

An Enemy We Created: The Myth of the Taliban-Al Qaeda Merger in Afghanistan

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on the national security state. He is the author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare and, with John Kiriakou, The CIA Insider's Guide to the Iran Crisis. Follow him on Twitter @GarethPorter and listen to Gareth’s previous appearances on the Scott Horton Show.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wow1-qRaRPw