NPR Blames 'Militants' as Blockade Starves Afghans
📰 THE STORY: NPR reports on the closed borders between Pakistan and Afghanistan since October, claiming the disruption to trade around the region is due to 'a broader dispute over how to handle increasingly active militant groups.' The piece focuses on the humanitarian impact of the blockade, attributing it to Taliban-Pakistan tensions. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The
current 'militant groups' NPR references are a direct progeny of decades of US/Western intervention in Afghanistan. In 1979, the US began covertly funding Mujahideen factions (including Osama bin Laden's associates) to destabilize the Soviet-backed government, leading to a brutal civil war. The 20-year US occupation (2001-2021) further destabilized the country, culminating in the Taliban's return
after the US seizure of Afghanistan's $7 billion central bank assets effectively crippled the economy in August 2021. Double Standard: When Western governments impose blockades or sanctions that cripple entire economies – like the US freezing Afghanistan's $7 billion central bank assets or its decades-long blockade of Cuba impacting food and medicine – it's framed as 'national security' or
'democracy promotion.' When the resulting desperation or internal conflict leads to border closures, it's simplistically attributed to 'militant activities' by the very media outlets funded by the same governments. Imagine NPR reporting on Venezuela's economic woes without mentioning crippling US sanctions, blaming 'internal mismanagement' instead. Follow the Money: NPR receives significant