Journals Dismayed at Taliban Treatment of Scientists

Journal editors seem surprised at events in Afghanistan
but avoid blaming those responsible for the disaster.

Who is surprised that the Taliban is killing citizens and threatening scientists? Scientists.

Everyone else knew that a government led by Muslim warlords with 7th-century ethics would not take a liking to freedom of inquiry and today’s PC (politically corrupt) values of ‘diversity and inclusion.’ Journal editors are lamenting the situation now, but where were they when there were still opportunities to advise foreign policy? They were too busy blaming Trump. Now, the real culprit, Joe Biden, treated as untouchable by leftists in Big Science and Big Media, is too sacred to accuse for what everyone else considers a catastrophic pullout of American forces last August.

President Biden almost single-handedly wrought what some are calling the worst and most humiliating foreign policy catastrophe in American history. At the beginning of his fiasco, Biden gave the Taliban the strategically important and secure Bagram airbase (which America had built). Contrary to reason, Biden also pulled out the military before evacuating civilians. As the Taliban encircled Kabul, he continued the pullout. As the last planes left, Biden had let go of up to 80 billion (with a B) dollars’ worth of US military hardware, including tanks, Black Hawk helicopters, vehicles and 600,000 guns, along with American cutting-edge technology. Nobody knows the exact value of the gear, but whatever was left all fell into Taliban hands. He retaliated for a terrorist bomb that killed 13 American military at Kabul airport by sending a drone strike on the wrong vehicle, killing 10 civilians including 7 children. After promising no one would be left behind, Biden’s administration left thousands of American citizens and Afghani allies in harm’s way, many of whom have already been rounded up and shot, beheaded or executed in public. The chilling images of people falling from the last planes leaving the American embassy at Kabul airport trying to flee the Taliban happened on his watch.

Although President Trump was making plans to get America out of Afghanistan after 20 years of conflict, he and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have stated that Trump’s plans were conditioned on Taliban compliance with strict agreements, including civil rights for civilians and women. They said their plans would have kept the military present till all civilians were safely escorted out. They knew that pulling the military out first was foolish and reckless. They would have retrieved all of America’s military gear. None of this happened under Biden. He gave it all away in violation of his own promises.

Biden’s military advisers naively thought the Taliban would be nicer this time around after years of American presence and help. They were surprised at how quickly the extremists took over after US-helped President Ghani fled with his money. Biden showed no embarrassment as Americans watched Twitter images of Taliban leaders cheering as they held up US-made military equipment in victory parades. As a final disgrace, the Biden administration hindered private groups seeking to fly the hunted out of the country to safe havens. Biden never apologized for any of this. He has ‘turned the page’ on this subject and never talks about it now, leaving scientists, women and Afghan allies still trapped in fear for their lives. Any potential ally in the Middle East now has ample reason to never trust the USA again. Meanwhile, enemies in Iran, China and Russia are taking advantage of American weakness to make incursions into neighboring territories, and Iran is emboldened to go full-speed ahead on nuclear weapons.

What would Big Science say about this? Since Big Science and its allies in Big Media hate Donald Trump and act incessantly as a propaganda arm of the Democrat Party, how would they spin the aftermath now that their preferred leader has so completely blown it?

‘I don’t want to die.’ Afghan researchers fear for their safety—and the future of science (Science Magazine, August 20, 2021). Richard Stone says, “Scholars overseas are trying to help colleagues wanting to flee their country after Taliban takeover.” The AAAS reporter tells horror stories of Taliban actions against scientists (“I don’t want to die”) and quotes local authorities admitting that the Taliban are ‘antiscience,’ but his wording is carefully crafted to avoid blaming Biden. Stone calls it a “Taliban takeover” but it was really an American abdication. Watch carefully:

Why is the Taliban so eager to take him out? “Because they’re antiscience,” Mashal says. “Educated people are targeted because we have transformed the country.” His past affiliation with a U.S. organization added to the jeopardy. Mashal left Afghanistan with his wife in December 2020 for a yearlong fellowship at a German university. Now, after the Taliban’s lightning-fast takeover of the country, many other scientists are trying to join the exodus—and their colleagues overseas are trying to help.

There was only a lightning-fast takeover of the country because the Biden administration let it happen. They flunked foreign policy 101. There was no planned, coordinated exit with conditions. The American public, for the most part, watched in horror and disbelief as the catastrophe unfolded. Stone is now upset about the return of Shariah law and crackdowns on women being seen in public or going to school. He quotes an Afghani scientist mourning the conditions now: “it’s so painful to see the devastation,” the unnamed man says. ”The loss of everything we risked our lives for.”

Researchers at risk in Afghanistan need better tools to find help (Nature Editorial, 24 November 2021). Again, there is no mention of Biden in this editorial, nor blame for what his administration did. There is only hand-wringing over the peril Afghani scientists are now in.

Most academic staff — particularly women and those with international links — are either in hiding or looking to leave the country. One provincial passport office that reopened earlier this month received more than 2,000 applications per day, nearly 10 times its usual daily processing capacity of 250. “The reality is that we are all trying to emigrate,” one researcher wrote in an e-mail to Nature last week.

The editors suggest using digital tools and international cooperation to help trapped scientists. They naively think that the situation will stabilize later, allowing scientists to return. Meanwhile, a “brain drain” threatens to return this Muslim fundamentalist country to the 7th century. Did Nature‘s appeal work? Keep reading…

Afghanistan’s academics despair months after Taliban takeover (Nature News, 10 December 2021). Two weeks later, Nature despairs that conditions have degenerated. Once again, there is no mention of Joe Biden or his catastrophic policy that resulted in the despair. The closest the article comes is to say, “The Taliban seized power in mid-August as the last of the US-led coalition troops that had been supporting the previous government pulled out.” Did they pull out by themselves, or were they pulled out by their commander in chief?

Four months after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, academics say they feel marooned, and abandoned by the international community. With limited prospects for research, many scientists have left or are still trying to find routes out, so they can continue their careers.

Researchers say they have been stripped of their finances and academic freedoms and do not feel valued by the new government. Many continue to fear being persecuted for their international connections, ethnicity or gender — or because they have been critical of the government — and some say they have been threatened with death or retribution by the Taliban.

“The current government has had a completely destructive effect on research,” says Shohra Qaderi, who is from Afghanistan but is currently studying clinical science and public health at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. “Research is a form of freedom of speech for scholars, but this freedom of speech has been taken by the Taliban.”

These events must grate on journal editors who pride themselves on their diversity and inclusion, but they ignore what caused this debacle. During the years American forces were present supporting the previous government, women were enjoying the freedom to attend universities and study science. The Biden administration naively trusted the lying Taliban’s promise to maintain those liberties, and seemed shocked when the persecutions and beheadings started. Now, research has stopped and “everybody is trying to get out.”

Come on, journal editors! Say it! Who abandoned the scientists? Who caused the Taliban takeover? Who trusted the Talibanis to be nice to women? Who thought the Taliban would respect science? Who has blood on his hands?

Stop hiding behind passive-voice verbs. Stop being naive. Be brave. You can say it. Spell it: J-O-E –B-I-D-E-N. This is the president you supported. This is the one who replaced Trump whom you were desperate to get out of office. Shouldn’t scientists follow the evidence where it leads?

Before any readers try to opine that anti-science “religious fundamentalism” includes Christians, consider: the Christian west gave us the university. The Muslim east gave the world madrassas that teach children how to serve Allah with suicide bombs. Christ said “the truth shall set you free.” The Taliban says, “submit or off with your head.” Jesus taught, “Love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you.” The Taliban says, “Kill the infidels.”

Recommended resource: Science and God, a new video at Prager University featuring Dr Stephen Meyer.