Open Thread – Mon 13 Dec 2021


Sacred and Profane Love, Giovanni Baglione, 1602

2,998 responses to “Open Thread – Mon 13 Dec 2021”

  1. Runnybum Avatar
    Runnybum

    Sfw & angry rex, go & fuck off & when you get there fuck off again.

  2. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    Or did another’s wishful thinking gland become a little overactive?

    I think Struth got terribly excited by your disappearance Sancho, as it confirmed his opinions that the shots MurderDeathKill everyone they enter.

    He’ll be sulking about this latest failure for at least another month now…

  3. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    Sfw & angry rex, go & fuck off & when you get there fuck off again.

    Poor Dribbles.

    Always the Bert Newton to Struth’s Gra-Gra…

  4. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    I remember that idiot and many others like him.

    Stepford Commenters. Every last one.

    Utterly identical in their bland and mindless repetition of every leftist talking point du jour. Great fun once you could get under their skin, mind…

  5. calli Avatar
    calli

    I blame myself. It all started with “Sexy Rexy”.

    Now blow up dolls.

    There is also a rose cultivar (and a very beautiful one) called “A Touch of Class”. Albo might know about it.

  6. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    I miss the actual PLA infiltrators we had during the early 2020 Election threads. There were some absolute corkers. 🙂

  7. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    I blame myself. It all started with “Sexy Rexy”.

    [Blush]

  8. Arky Avatar
    Arky

    It was totally transparent.
    “I’m getting the vaxx tomorrow”.
    “I got the vaxx today, all good so far, just a slight headache”.
    “Geese I feel rough today, Taking to my bed”.
    [rasping dying sounds stage left]
    Radio silence.
    How anyone fell for that melodramatic shit I do not know.

    11
  9. Arky Avatar
    Arky

    For the next plot twist will we find out he has a long lost twin brother living in Hong Kong?
    Or is the next episode the “amnesia” plot?

  10. Dot Avatar

    Buy a sex doll, hire a cleaning lady, and eat out at restaurants. It will be cheaper.

    Based!

  11. DrBeauGan Avatar
    DrBeauGan

    Sex Doll? You must be kidding! If it’s not the real thing don’t bother.

    I’m not sure, but I thought the stepford wives were robots. I’m told that the Japanese sex dolls are better than the real thing.

    I saw an inflatable sex doll once in Helsinki; it was amazingly unattractive. But that was long ago, and in another country. Besides, the wench was never remotely alive.

  12. Thefrollickingmole Avatar
    Thefrollickingmole

    Makes notes…
    Dr Beu Guns guide to eternal happiness.

    Buy a restaurant, eat out a cleaning lady and hire a sex doll…

  13. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    Covfefe?

    Look.

    You’ve already been recorded as absent the last four meetings, St.Ruth’s conducted about six eulogies for you and there are dust monsters under the couch. Not the fainting day bed, the footy couch.

    I trust Kuta Beach was satisfactory.

  14. Arky Avatar
    Arky

    Or is it the one where he falls into a coma and his wife has an affair with his amnesiac twin brother from Hong Kong?

  15. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    For the next plot twist will we find out he has a long lost twin brother living in Hong Kong?

    The brain surgeon.

    Or the epidemologist.

  16. bespoke Avatar
    bespoke

    Sancho Panzersays:
    December 14, 2021 at 7:25 pm

    Lol!

  17. Dot Avatar

    I am deeply afraid 95% of nubile women will be dead in 12 -48 months.

  18. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    eat out a cleaning lady

    Please, Sir! Less of the Sadie-masochism!

    It’s not that kind of blog…

  19. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    Geese I feel rough today, Taking to my bed

    Geese will do that to a man.

    They tend to leave one favourably disposed towards a Swan-song…

    #Wheeze

  20. Roger Avatar
    Roger

    When did our politicians and elites start to identify with internationalism instead of their own country?

    We are neither 19th C. Britain nor 20th C. USA.

    Reality has dictated that our leaders have always had to trade off our national interests against the interests of the great powers that underwrote our security.

    Because of the length of his tenure and the impact of his international treaty influenced decisions on ordinary Australian people there’s little doubt our most internationalist PM to date has been John Howard.

  21. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    While we are on the subject of classics,

    In the words of the young folk, I consider this song to be totally bussin‘…

    #Honk

  22. bespoke Avatar
    bespoke

    Per tending to be dead just to get a rise out of Struth is a Lowe act.

    No it isn’t.

  23. Razey Avatar
    Razey

    MANOWAR – Warriors Of The World

    Vax’s or not vax’d, lets get this done, let’s wipe out the tyrants, let us take back what they had no right to take!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1G9D8A4Fiw

  24. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    I have a sinking feeling I may be on this pun jig for a little while tonight…

    #Gurgle

  25. Dot Avatar

    Well champ, it’s someone’s fantasy…

    https://www.ravishly.com/2015/02/19/law-order-svu-has-really

    This didn’t age well. Imagine defending Brianna Wu, Zoe Quin or Anita Sarkeesian!

    All grifters, cancers on society.

  26. Dot Avatar

    Remember the bet, struth.

    500 units of the 1937 – 1942 Australian shilling, of average grade.

    Australia’s population won’t even dip 5% by February 1, 2026.

  27. Sancho Panzer Avatar
    Sancho Panzer

    Dotsays:

    December 14, 2021 at 8:17 pm

    I am deeply afraid 95% of nubile women will be dead in 12 -48 months.

    And how is that relevant to you?

  28. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    I am deeply afraid 95% of nubile women will be dead in 12 -48 months.

    Is that 95% of the white Anglo-Saxon male women?

    Apparently, and it is said by some, that they are our saviours.

  29. Dot Avatar

    (male women? Is it okay to talk about my Khorne/Slaanesh tsuendere fantasy?)

  30. Old School Conservative Avatar
    Old School Conservative

    When did our politicians and elites start to identify with internationalism instead of their own country?

    Long enough to influence HSC students. In NSW the Economics and Business Studies syllabii are uncritically enthusiastic about globalisation.
    That would be about 60,000 students p.a. with a rosy view of globalisation.

  31. bespoke Avatar
    bespoke

    Oh I getit know, “Lowe” funny!

  32. Plasmamortar Avatar
    Plasmamortar

    Sex Doll? You must be kidding! If it’s not the real thing don’t bother. Are there really people who buy and/or use such things? I’d rather live on Mt Athos.

    I saw an inflatable sex doll once in Helsinki; it was amazingly unattractive. But that was long ago, and in another country. Besides, the wench was never remotely alive.

    They do exist and people do buy them, things have come a long way since the blow up doll days…

    https://www.the-doll-house.com/

  33. H B Bear Avatar
    H B Bear

    He is risen.

    And it’s not even Easter.

  34. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    (male women? Is it okay to talk about my Khorne/Slaanesh tsuendere fantasy?)

    No. That’s double-heresy.

    And you’ll have all the daemonettes hate-lusting at you in some sort of appalling pile-on all over Warp.net.

    Unless this was Just As Planned…

  35. calli Avatar
    calli

    He is risen.

    Early booster.

  36. Luzu Avatar
    Luzu

    Mole,

    You made my day! Had to read that to Junior Baby Bird because he wanted to know what had made me laugh out loud.

    Who put on here recently that if all we do is remain human, we have won? Surely the ability to laugh and find merriment in the hardest of times is a peculiarly human virtue.

    On a personal note, the branch manager took me aside today and told me he is looking to find wriggle room for me not to be vaxxed by Dec 31st but be able to work nonetheless. I told him of my plan to wait for Novavax and the leave applications I had made. I believe in being transparent.

    If I get Novavax, I will still be as adamant in my opposition to forced vaccination as I have ever been. As Mother Lode said, vaxxed or not, we can still stand together. And the feedback I am getting in just my workplace indicates an incredible amount of resentment and anger at the mandates.

    19
  37. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    Early booster.

    Heh.

  38. Rockdoctor Avatar
    Rockdoctor

    From the people who apparently can’t get BLM shut down…

    https://www.rebelnews.com/breaking_police_try_to_cancel_freedom_ball_in_sydney?utm_campaign=ay_eventcops_121421&utm_medium=email&utm_source=therebel

    Wow I offer with no comment as I am speachless.

  39. Sancho Panzer Avatar
    Sancho Panzer

    Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
    Truth is, I had a couple of days in hospital for observation after I saw my specialist (nothing dire, mainly to make sure tests and monitoring were done). More on that another time.
    But it then occurred to me that no-one was convincing anyone else of anything here, so I lost interest in reading it.
    Then followed a couple of bouts of fishing on the SS Incommunicado for a few days, either out of phone range or with my phone in a ziplock bag. Shortly after this I discovered that St Ruth had concluded I had been a vax-victim, so I chose to lie doggo for a bit longer.
    Having said that, it is encouraging that some people are now recognising the futility of being in a Pureblood Suicide Squad and brushing away the helping hand offered by the traitorous turncoat double-jabbers.

    13
  40. Miss Anthropist Avatar
    Miss Anthropist

    So Sancho Panzer
    Are you really alive? You have been known to pull peoples legs for sport.
    We need a photo of you with today’s newspaper.

  41. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    Then followed a couple of bouts of fishing on the SS Incommunicado

    There better be stories about car batteries and putting holes in fresh corpses wrapped in chicken wire to let the berley out.

  42. H B Bear Avatar
    H B Bear

    Can we get a Kerry Packer style review of the other side? It might help a few people free up some time on a Sunday morning.

  43. Sancho Panzer Avatar
    Sancho Panzer

    Phantom Panzer.
    Ghost who walks.
    Man who never dies.

  44. Sancho Panzer Avatar
    Sancho Panzer

    H B Bearsays:

    December 14, 2021 at 9:12 pm

    Can we get a Kerry Packer style review of the other side?

    I only went out past the reef.
    Didn’t sail to the edge.

  45. calli Avatar
    calli

    The Bar was not crossed.

  46. DrBeauGan Avatar
    DrBeauGan

    They do exist and people do buy them, things have come a long way since the blow up doll days…

    https://www.the-doll-house.com/

    I’ll get one when they can do the washing up and cook.

    I’m glad to see that when 98% of nubile chicks have karked it, we’ll still be OK.

  47. JC Avatar
    JC

    Sanchez

    And Struth told us you’d carked it.

  48. bespoke Avatar
    bespoke

    The only nubile chick I need is sitting next to me.

  49. P Avatar
    P

    Mention upthread of the 1983 election reminded me of Bill Hayden saying
    “a drover’s dog could lead the Labor Party to victory”.
    So true.
    I was a member of the Bishop’s Pastoral Council in 1982 and we had discussed what the Church could do about the present situation: unemployment at around 13%, and in NW Sydney is was as high as 33%.

  50. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    The only nubile chick

    Wicked Wings.

    Zinger burger. No. Wait.

    Zinger Box.

    PHRASING.

  51. Indolent Avatar
    Indolent

    German Police Physically Throw Down an Older Gentleman

    Anybody speak German? Someone was clapping.

  52. Delta A Avatar
    Delta A

    Per tending to be dead just to get a rise out of Struth is a Lowe act.

    A typically brilliant Lowe act.

    Glad yer not dead, Sancho.

  53. bespoke Avatar
    bespoke

    If your after a good action movie the “Nobody” is good. Unlike that John Wick girlyman his opponents don’t give a second and third chance.

  54. Razey Avatar
    Razey

    rickwsays:
    December 14, 2021 at 8:53 pm
    Fuck Australian Police are dogs:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjXLznlLbAs

    Sounds like rabid vaxtards were threatening staff. As stated here a few times, there are vaxtards that don’t want us to have any freedom and want us dead.

  55. local oaf Avatar
    local oaf

    Indolent says:
    December 14, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    German Police Physically Throw Down an Older Gentleman

    Anybody speak German? Someone was clapping.

    I wonder what the cultural norm is over there?

    I’ve seen European concerts where the audience slow clapped the performers and it was the local way of showing strong appreciation!

    I would like think maybe the clapping and whistling was a form of heckling the cops, but not holding my breath on that one!

  56. Sancho Panzer Avatar
    Sancho Panzer

    JCsays:

    December 14, 2021 at 9:27 pm

    Sanchez

    And Struth told us you’d carked it.

    Well, he had me worried for a while.
    He’s not usually wrong about these things.

  57. Sancho Panzer Avatar
    Sancho Panzer

    Glad yer not dead, Sancho.

    #metoo

  58. Razey Avatar
    Razey

    Zyconoclastsays:
    December 14, 2021 at 9:44 pm
    The most fugly Miss Universe contestants ever.

    It’s a man baby, yeah!

  59. rosie Avatar
    rosie

    Got a call from local federal members offsider this afternoon.
    Got to air a few grievances about lockdowns mandates immigration green liberals told em I was going to vote ldp.

    13
  60. Razey Avatar
    Razey

    rosiesays:
    December 14, 2021 at 9:48 pm
    Got a call from local federal members offsider this afternoon.
    Got to air a few grievances about lockdowns mandates immigration green liberals told em I was going to vote ldp.

    You are wonderful.

  61. Gab Avatar
    Gab

    What?

    NSW health person chief thingy ”We are seeing an increased number of cases predominantly among the vaccinated”.
    No, really? If only someone had warned people about this.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51xCHjLC3zA

  62. Bluey Avatar
    Bluey

    rosiesays:
    December 14, 2021 at 9:48 pm
    Got a call from local federal members offsider this afternoon.
    Got to air a few grievances about lockdowns mandates immigration green liberals told em I was going to vote ldp.

    And I’m confident they will continue to screw up by the numbers.

  63. rosie Avatar
    rosie

    And a happy reunion this afternoon.
    Mr Vic 17 month was so excited to see Miss Qld 19 months, there was much running and squealing and overenthusiastic hugging, while she was somewhat overwhelmed, then both moved on to whatever you do I’m going to do too.
    All adults vastly entertained.

    14
  64. Gab Avatar
    Gab

    Please sign the petition

    The research and testing done on 5-12 y/o is inadequate and given the Governments coronavirus health statistics of Covid cases that resulted in death for this age bracket (0) , the rolling out of the vaccine is simply not worth the risk of these young children’s lives or further health problems that could arise, from the vaccine, in there already naturally developing immune systems. The COVID-19 factsheet on the Government health website of school aged children, also emphasises that children are already unlikely to spread the virus.

    https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN3625

    14
  65. Indolent Avatar
    Indolent

    Because of the length of his tenure and the impact of his international treaty influenced decisions on ordinary Australian people there’s little doubt our most internationalist PM to date has been John Howard.

    I think Scumo has well overtaken him by now. I’m sure that, just like the media, he gets his morning talking points. Talk about Stepford Wives. And international treaties (human rights, Nuremberg) just get brushed aside if they don’t suit the daily narrative.

  66. MatrixTransform Avatar
    MatrixTransform

    We need a photo of you with today’s newspaper.

    and a picture of the fish

  67. MatrixTransform Avatar
    MatrixTransform

    Man who never dies.

    never shuts up more like it.

    …gawd its been nice

    13
  68. MatrixTransform Avatar
    MatrixTransform

    The only nubile chick I need is sitting next to me.

    you only say that cos you cant cook and you’d starve without sucking up

  69. MatrixTransform Avatar
    MatrixTransform

    You are wonderful.

    Give me a thumb Valisi … one thumb only please

  70. Arky Avatar
    Arky

    …gawd its been nice

    ..
    Not really.
    The other vaxxed nutters made up for it.
    From here on in it only gets worse,

    15
  71. miltonf Avatar
    miltonf

    Good to see you back Sancho bing bong

  72. Mark from Melbourne Avatar
    Mark from Melbourne

    Every one of us has their unique view of the world and unique responses to stress and strain and joy and love. This is how we are, this is what frightens collectivists and tyrants.

    This.

  73. Arky Avatar
    Arky

    In between blathering on about teapots and doilies or whatever the shit the last thousand comments I’ve scrolled without reading were about, aggressively whining about how much they really are on the side of freedom and pray ten times a day that something will change this awful vaxx apartheid they’re forced to enjoy, and taking turns ritualistically ramming a duck up Struth while intoning “How dare you”, I hardly missed Lowe’s presence at all.

    10
  74. Arky Avatar
    Arky

    Welcome back Lowe.

  75. Bons Avatar

    So the ABC Party has declared their candidates for the election at the completion of a 12 month political conspiracy abetted by Morrisson.
    He allowed his AG to be torn down by a conspiracy so transparently unsustainable and corrupt that even the courts identified ABC malfeasance. Morrisson did nothing. The chief conspirator was the ABC but the knife wielder is now an election candidate. No conspiracy there – no no no.
    When honest (well marginally) Senators sought an enquiry into ABC accountability, Morrisson directed his people to vote with the marxist left in order to protect the Bra Ads Editor from scrutiny of her criminally negligent Chairmanship of the Soviet.
    When a drunken tart fell asleep in PH, Morrisson permitted the ABC to prosecute the outlandish argument that it was somehow his responsibility. Compounding the stupidity by permitting the HRC resident man hater to conduct a sham enquiry and table an off the shelf report saying that it was all the LNP’s fault.
    And finally we have a ‘squad’ of candidates comprising rich bitch ditsesses; recent and serving ABC employees, with recent and serving ABC administrative and publicity personnel as campaign managers; and arts troughers; who have already received more publicity than the Minor Parties have over years. ABC publicity supporting the Squad will be intense because they have no fear of the Government.
    “How could bloody Morrisson have allowed this to happen” is a stupid question.
    Every one of the ABC Party candidates is Photios approved. Their election will lead to a bonanza for the Photios/Turnbull cronies without any of the messy constraints associated with having to deal with a democratic party, even one as corrupt and incompetent as the LNP.
    Convince me that they won’t hold the balance of power post election.

    20
  76. Thefrollickingmole Avatar
    Thefrollickingmole

    Nobody is a fun movie.
    I liked his expositions to his audience who were mostly unappreciative.

  77. Arky Avatar
    Arky

    this is what frightens collectivists and tyrants.

    ..
    I’m pretty sure it’s the possibility of getting machine gunned to death alongside their “mother of the nation” wife or their corpse hung upside down in the town square alongside their mistress, or even the old bayonet up the back passage after getting dragged out of the roadside culvert they were hiding in that really frightens tyrants.

  78. Thefrollickingmole Avatar
    Thefrollickingmole

    We. Hold be merciful and strand our unwanted dicktators on the Abrholos islands and they can pit their smooth brains against the wild.
    Best thing is the crabs would get a good feed and their level of civilisation would have a negligible impact.

  79. Pedro the Loafer Avatar
    Pedro the Loafer

    I predicted weeks ago the Christian Porter was doomed in his electorate of Pearce (WA) and that was before he pulled the plug and announced he is not standing for re-election.

    When the AEC hived off all of the rural areas of Pearce and dumped them in the giant electorate of Durack that covers about 80% of West Oz.

    All the traditional National votes and preferences disappear, the new dominant demographic in Pearce’s northern suburbs of Perth is now Tory hating Pom expats, African and mozzie immigrants and “my dad voted Labor” welfare sloths.

    Apologies in advance in linking Turdball’s Grauniad, but have a look at the appalling list of candidates for the Federal election.

  80. Miss Anthropist Avatar
    Miss Anthropist

    I missed the posts on doilies and teapots. Bother.

  81. Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Border Closure Avatar
    Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Border Closure

    bespokesays: December 14, 2021 at 9:40 pm

    If your after a good action movie the “Nobody” is good. Unlike that John Wick girlyman his opponents don’t give a second and third chance.

    The new edition of “Liam Neeson, tough guy” has been spat out of the xerox machine.

    Named “Ice Road” & sans any edge-of-the-seat moments, coz unless you arrived from Mars this morning and are watching your very first movie, you pretty much always know what is going to happen.

    It is saved only by the fact that every last aspect of the movie is so improbable that it could not happen in real life, or is logistically impossible, & you’re playing “spot the part that however improbable, could possibly actually happen”

    I defy anybody to find one part of the movie that would/could occur in real life – apart from when semi-trailers are put in gear they move forward.

  82. H B Bear Avatar
    H B Bear

    … the new dominant demographic in Pearce’s northern suburbs of Perth is now Tory hating Pom expats, African and mozzie immigrants and “my dad voted Labor” welfare sloths.

    Perth’s northern suburbs must now give north Adelaide a run.

  83. Baba Avatar
    Baba

    I defy anybody to find one part of the movie that would/could occur in real life

    J C? KD? Rex?

  84. Wally Dalí Avatar
    Wally Dalí

    Blimmin’ flip it’s cold here.
    You wouldn’t think we’re a week shy of the solstice.

  85. Zulu Kilo Two Alpha Avatar
    Zulu Kilo Two Alpha

    Perth’s northern suburbs must now give north Adelaide a run.

    Quite an apt comparison.

  86. Zulu Kilo Two Alpha Avatar
    Zulu Kilo Two Alpha

    Taliban foreign minister asks world for ‘mercy and compassion’
    By Kathy Gannon
    December 14, 2021 — 12.55pm
    0

    Leave a comment

    Kabul: Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers are committed in principle to education and jobs for girls and women, a marked departure from their previous time in power, and they seek the world’s “mercy and compassion” to help millions of Afghans in desperate need, a top Taliban leader said in a rare interview.

    Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also said the Taliban government wanted good relations with all countries and had no issue with the United States. He urged Washington and other nations to release upwards of $US10 billion ($14 billion) in funds that were frozen when the Taliban took power on August 15, following a rapid military sweep across the country and the sudden, secret flight of US-backed president Ashraf Ghani.

    “Sanctions against Afghanistan would … not have any benefit,” Muttaqi said on Sunday, speaking in his native Pashto during an interview in the sprawling pale brick Foreign Ministry building in the heart of the capital, Kabul.

    “Making Afghanistan unstable or having a weak Afghan government is not in the interest of anyone,” said Muttaqi, whose aides include employees of the previous government as well as those recruited from the ranks of the Taliban.

    Muttaqi acknowledged the world’s outrage at the Taliban-imposed limitations on girls’ education and on women in the workforce. In many parts of the country, female students between grades 7 and 12 have not been allowed to go to school since the Taliban took over, and many female civil servants have been told to stay home. Taliban officials have said they need time to create gender-segregated arrangements in schools and the workplace to meet their severe interpretation of Islam.

    When they first ruled from 1996-2001, the Taliban shocked the world by barring girls and women from schools and jobs, banning most entertainment and sports, and occasionally carrying out executions in front of large crowds in sports stadiums.

    But Muttaqi said the Taliban had changed since they last ruled.

    “We have made progress in administration and in politics … in interaction with the nation and the world. With each passing day, we will gain more experience and make more progress,” he said.

    Muttaqi said that under the new Taliban government, girls were going to school through grade 12 in 10 of the country’s 34 provinces, private schools and universities were operating unhindered, and 100 per cent of women who had previously worked in the health sector were back on the job.

    “This shows that we are committed in principle to women participation,” he said.

    He claimed the Taliban have not targeted their opponents, instead announcing a general amnesty and providing some protection. Leaders of the previous government live without threat in Kabul, he said, although most of them have fled.
    Women’s rights activists in Kabul insist they will continue fighting for their right to education, employment and participation in Afghan political and social life, and said a recent Taliban decree banning forced marriage was not enough to address the issue of women’s rights.

    Women’s rights activists in Kabul insist they will continue fighting for their right to education, employment and participation in Afghan political and social life, and said a recent Taliban decree banning forced marriage was not enough to address the issue of women’s rights.Credit:AP

    Last month, the international group Human Rights Watch published a report that said the Taliban summarily killed or forcibly disappeared more than 100 former police and intelligence officials in four provinces. However, there have been no reports of large-scale retribution.

    Muttaqi alleged the government that took power after the US-led coalition ousted the Taliban regime in 2001 carried out widespread revenge attacks against the Taliban. Hundreds disappeared or were killed, with thousands fleeing to the mountains, he said. The Taliban were ousted for harbouring al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden who masterminded the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US.

    Muttaqi insisted poverty and the dream of a better life — not fear — drove thousands of Afghans to rush to Kabul’s airport in August in hopes of getting to America. The crush of people had generated searing images of men clinging to a departing American C-17 aircraft, while others fell to the ground as the landing gear retracted.

    He said the Taliban have made mistakes in their first months in power and that “we will work for more reforms which can benefit the nation.” He did not elaborate on the mistakes or possible reforms.

    Muttaqi pushed back against comments by US Marine General Frank McKenzie who said last week that al-Qaeda has grown slightly in Afghanistan since US forces left. McKenzie is Washington’s top military commander in the Middle East.

    In a February 2020 deal that spelt out the terms of the US troop withdrawal, the Taliban had promised to fight terrorism and deny terrorist groups a safe haven.

    Muttaqi said the Taliban had kept that promise, along with a pledge not to attack US and NATO forces in the final phase of the withdrawal, which ended in late August.

    “Unfortunately, there are [always] allegations against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, but there is no proof,” Muttaqi said. “If McKenzie has any proof, he should provide it. With confidence, I can say that this is a baseless allegation.”

    Meanwhile, militants from the Islamic State group have stepped up attacks on Taliban patrols and religious minorities in the past four months. The IS affiliate has targeted Shiite mosques in the provincial capitals of Kunduz and Kandahar, carrying out frequent attacks on Taliban vehicles.

    Muttaqi, however, said the Taliban have gained the upper hand in recent weeks, saying there had not been a major attack in the last month. Washington’s ability to track IS activities in Afghanistan has been handicapped since its withdrawal.

    Muttaqi said he did not envision cooperating with the US in the battle against IS.

    However, he did express hope that with time, “America will slowly, slowly change its policy towards Afghanistan” as it sees that a Taliban-ruled country standing on its own was a benefit to the US.

    “My last point is to America, to the American nation: You are a great and big nation, and you must have enough patience and have a big heart to dare to make policies on Afghanistan based on international rules and relegation, and to end the differences and make the distance between us shorter and choose good relations with Afghanistan,” he said.

  87. Wally Dalí Avatar
    Wally Dalí

    Woolclip goes under the hammer tomorrow. Valuation puts it above 1000c greasy- unbelievable money for my record! I’m crediting my new strict ration grazing method.
    So c’mon you woollen mills. Daddy needs a new Volvo.

  88. Winston Smith Avatar

    Arky:

    ….and taking turns ritualistically ramming a duck up Struth while intoning “How dare you”,

    It’s supposed to be a bloody echidna, Arky. You idiot!
    No wonder it wasn’t working – it was squawking.

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