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Today marks the day 17 years ago that the United States invaded Afghanistan following the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks in the US.
The war continues today with no end in sight.
The report card after 17 years of US war and occupation of Afghanistan is F - complete failure.
Why?
When is the US planning to leave Afghanistan?
Another 17 years? Maybe 117 years? Maybe never?
No one knows.
The US has no real plan to change course.
Afghanistan is the endless war.
There seems to be overlapping interests for the US in Afghanistan.
When the US invaded in 2001, Afghanistan opium production was almost zero.
But shortly after the US arrived, opium production shot up sky high.
Numerous analysts believe the $60 Billion opium market in Afghanistan is controlled by the CIA to fund their black-ops, making withdrawal from the country undesirable.
Multiple analysts also believe that the strategic location of Afghanistan is a prime reason to stay.
Afghanistan shares a large border with arch-enemy Iran. China also shares a border with the Afghan nation.
Last night at approximately 10pm local Syrian time, Israel performed a maneuver which caused the shooting down of a Russia military jet, killing 15 Russian servicemen, according to the Russian military.
Initial media reports suggested France or Israel, who were active in the area at the time, shot down the Russian plane.
Subsequently the Russian Defense Ministry stated that Israel used the Russian jet as cover while attacking Syria, invoking Syria's air defense system to fire a missile at the Russian plane.
However several hours following the Russian military's accusation against Israel, President Putin stated the attack was an accident due to "tragic chance events."
What happens next is anyone's guess in this highly intensified situation.
According to foreign policy expert Andrei Raevsky, Russia's Israel lobby will quell any chance of a Russian military retaliation against Israel.
Analyst Ryan Dawson has also indicated Russia has no choice but to 'take it on the chin.'
But how long can Putin's patience hold out, given the West's non-stop antagonizing of Russia?
This wasn't the first attack against Russian military aircraft in this war.
In November of 2015, Turkey shot down a Russian military plane shortly after Russia entered the Syria War.
Russia was invited by Syria to help prevent the country from falling to foreign proxy-forces, such as ISIS.
Russia also has an interest in preventing a terrorist corridor from developing between Syria and Chechnya Russia. Chechnya can be reached by car from Syria in less than a day.
The US is also present in Syria (but without permission of the Syrian government) even though Syria is not vital to US national interests.
But Syria is considered vital to Israeli national interests. And since the Israeli lobby steers US foreign policy, the US is present in Syria.
BBC World News TV was absent.
A random check on the BBC channel today (10pm CET) reported these top stories: US-China trade tariffs, Korea peace meetings, US extreme weather events, Mudslides in Philippines, Female golfer killed.
No mention at all of the Israel-Russia attack in the prime-time slot of the broadcast.
On the weekend following the attack, the BBC show 'Dateline London' which reviews the week's top world news stories, said nothing of the incident.
Apparently the UK, like the US, has a powerful Israel lobby.
More on this developing story will be posted here as it happens.
