US Sanctions Starve Afghans, Then Wonders Why They Freeze to Death
Al-Monitor reports a 15-year-old in Afghanistan, Habibullah, froze to death trying to migrate for work to Iran because his family had "no food to eat, no clothes to wear." This tragic headline screams of desperation, yet conveniently divorces itself from the two decades of US 'nation-building' that preceded the current, predictable collapse. The US Afghan withdrawal left a crater, freezing
billions in Afghan assets post-Taliban takeover—assets that belonged to the Afghan people, not the new regime. This act crippled an already fragile economy and starved a civilian population of vital resources. We sent F-15s, drones, and 'democracy,' and now we're shocked when the ensuing economic devastation forces children like Habibullah into fatal desperation. The perpetual American political
class, so quick to tout 'success' after bombing nations into the Stone Age, are equally quick to ignore the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe born of their policy decisions. Perhaps if Afghanistan had oil, or strategic value that aligned with AIPAC's interests, the concern might extend beyond a fleeting headline.