Mick Hartley

Yes, America's enemies are gloating – and none more so than China. Here's Arabic-speaking Chinese TV host “Salwa”:

America's failure demonstrates the impotence of the "paper tiger" United States, and its readiness to dump its allies when the going gets tough, she says. It's hard to disagree. We Chinese, on the other hand never interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and China will play a "constructive role" in the rebuilding of Afghanistan.

Somehow I doubt that the Chinese treatment of its Muslim citizens in Xinjiang will bother the Taliban, just like it hasn't bothered any other Muslim state.

Also on MEMRI TV, Iran's former ambassador to Afghanistan says that Iran respects the choice of the Afghan people, and will cooperate with the Taliban.

They're all queueing up to pay court to the new Islamist theocracy.