China to offer Taliban tariff-free trade as it inches closer to isolated resource-rich regime | Reuters

In contrast, after illegally invading and occupying the country for two decades, the US confiscated Afghanistan’s wealth.

The assets freeze led to economic collapse, high unemployment, and widespread hunger. According to Save the Children, 50% population faces extreme hunger.

We’re the good guys in the new cold war we’ve started with China, though.

(map is ~8 years old)

“Forward-defense ring,” a perfectly normal turn of phrase and not at all Orwellian Newspeak.