Afghanistan Airstrikes; Ida Slams Louisiana; Bolivia and Nicaragua Updates

Kathy Kelly, peace activist and author, joins us to talk about the continued fallout from the US withdrawal from Afghanistan after its 20-year presence in the country and the violence that has ensued this week, including a suicide bombing that left 200 Afghans and 13 service members dead that was followed by US strikes against suspected militants in Nangarhar province and another strike within Kabul that left many civilians, including children, dead. We also talk about the uncertain number of civilians that were killed by US gunfire in the ensuing chaos after the bombing last week, and the dubious wisdom of retaliatory strikes that further cement resentment against the US.

Trupti Patel, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for Ward 2A03 in Washington, DC, talks to us about the situation in Louisiana while Hurricane Ida batters the region. We talk about how the people are faring during the hurricane, whether preparations taken have been adequate, how the covid pandemic could affect relief efforts, and whether the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina will be applied.

Wyatt Reed, Sputnik Radio correspondent, talks to us about the situation in Bolivia, as legal proceedings against the former coup government roll on, with Former President Jeanine Anez being charged with terrorism, sedition, conspiracy and genocide. We talk about how the prosecution is justifying those charges, how Anez’s team is responding, and what role multilateral regional organizations could play in this case. 

Sara Dady, immigration attorney and former Democratic congressional candidate for IL-16, talks to us about decisions last week by the Supreme Court that kept in place the “Remain in Mexico” policy for those traveling to the US to seek asylum, and that the eviction moratorium extension by the CDC was unconstitutional.  We also talk about the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington for voting rights, gathering of mothers who lost children to state violence, and whether these public demonstrations are enough to move the political needle towards justice.