Listen to story:

Download: mp3 (Duration: 20:25)

FEATURING JOHN SIFTON - October 7, 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. The Wall Street Journal reports that a strange quiet has fallen across the nation since U.S. ground troops withdrew. The capital Kabul faces the prospect of blackouts because the Taliban is unable to pay electricity bills. In an effort to isolate the regime that it fought and then partnered with, the U.S. and NATO nations have imposed sanctions on the Taliban which critics say will ultimately hurt ordinary Afghans.

Meanwhile the International Criminal Court just announced it will begin prosecuting war crimes in Afghanistan but only against the Taliban and the Islamic State. The U.S., which just admitted to killing a family of civilians, including 7 children, will be mysteriously exempt from prosecution.

Already have an account? Sign in