Bombing An Afghan Watershed For Glory And Profit #PentagonClimateCrime

When on April 13 the Pentagon dropped a bomb with a one mile blast radius, allegedly killing zero civilians and 94 ISIS militants holed up in tunnels, here are some of the consequences:

The watershed of Kabul is heavily polluted, and the flow of ancient irrigation systems in an arid region is disrupted.

Trees growing within a 500 foot radius are flattened in the agricultural Achin district of Nangarhar province.

The Pentagon's already massive carbon footprint increases.

The U.S. taxpayer is out $314,000,000 the same week that federal income taxes are due.

The bomb dropped today in the middle of nowhere, Afghanistan, cost $314,000,000. https://t.co/mV6sJoMIFJ (credit @thenib) pic.twitter.com/aj0Om5RhAV

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 13, 2017

War profiteer Dynetics gets a major brand boost.

The U.S. continues a pattern of funding its own enemies in the endless "war on terror" by bombing a tunnel complex the CIA helped bin Laden build for the mujahadeen. 

The demagogue with bad hair keeps one of his many campaign promises: "We're gonna bomb the shit out of ISIS."

The U.S. sends a message to governments everywhere e.g., this morning's Reuters headline "Pence warns North Korea of U.S. resolve shown in Syria, Afghan strikes" reporting on the vice president's trip to South Korea to further deployment of THAAD missile "defense" system there.

Image: Hassan Bleibel

The demagogue states on camera, "We are so proud of our military...We have the greatest military in the world!" but fudges when asked if he authorized use of the MOAB.

Corporate media talking heads nearly wet themselves expressing enthusiasm for a man they claim becomes more "presidential" when he orders (or maybe just observes?) airstrikes on other countries.

Alternative media examine the facts, alleged facts, and possible motivators for the airstrike more thoroughly.



North Korea responds by holding a missile parade, and the corporate press claim we are on the verge of going to war with that nuclear armed nation.

The neocons who had Syria on their maps when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 finally get to use a weapon developed for that conflict. 

U.S. military commander in Afghanistan General Nicholson finds the courage to visit Kabul two days later, possibly for talks about bringing in more troops than the 8,000 already there in order to "break the stalemate" of that 14 year conflict.

Antiwar organizer David Swanson observes the parallels with United Airlines' attack on a passenger, noting that if other passengers had simply blocked the aisle it would have halted the violent removal of David Dao. He then adds:

one should expect corporations and their thugs to behave barbarically. They are designed to do so. One should expect corrupt governments that lack popular influence or control to abuse power. 

The question is whether people will sit back and take it, resist with some nonviolent skills, or disastrously resort to violence themselves.

Amen to that, brother.

Banner from website of the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers