Originally Posted by
fj1200
They don't have competing goals. China gets rare-earth metals, religious zealots get money to persecute their own people; win-win.
Perhaps to start. When the Taliban wakes to the realization they are being exploited, have trapped themselves and/or want more? The Taliban's not known for being very imaginative in its response.
I'm also remembering how quickly the US military ran their asses out of the country ANDD how quickly ISIS took over a big chunk of Syria, Iraq and got into Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
China's that "friend" you let stay the night on your couch and never leaves.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke