Transcribing the Past

  Link  https://youtu.be/72-mBdZEfjs In late December 1979, the world held its breath as thousands of Soviet troops were sent into Afghanistan. Moscow said the troops would be there six months, to help bring peace to the country. In fact the Soviet army stayed almost ten years, and Afghanistan came to be seen as the Soviet Union's Vietnam. Louise Hidalgo has been talking to journalist Andrei Ostalski and former soldier Vyacheslav Ismailov about that time. Transcript Louise Hidalgo: Hello and welcome to the Witness podcast here on the BBC World Service with me Louise Hidalgo, and today I’m taking you back to late December 1979, when the world held its breath as the Soviet Union sent its army into Afghanistan to prop up the Communist led government. Moscow said the troops would stay six months, in the end they stayed nearly ten years. And Afghanistan will become the Soviet Union’s Vietnam. Vyacheslav Ismailov who served in Afghanistan as a soldier and journal...

  Willem Van Spronsen, 69 year old Anarchist and Anti-fascist Yesterday a man was shot and killed in the Tacoma immigrant detention centre, after attacking its transport hub in an attempt to prevent deportations. That man was Willem Van Spronsen, a 69 year old man, known as an active anti-fascist and anarchist. Last year he was in court for intervening to protect a 17 year old fellow protestor at another protest against the treatment of migrants at that facility. Conditions there, and in other facilities have only gotten worse, with them quickly becoming concentration camps for the US government to house thousands of people of all ages in deteriorating conditions. Since this is still breaking news there is some confusion about the events, early reports framed the incident as if Spronsen were trying to set fire to the whole camp, only for it come out that the use of incendiaries was against ICE vehicles. La Resistencia , a group that has organised several protests against ...