Re: Nuclear fears prompt Pakistan to prepare attack on Tal...

[Guest guest]

It was foolish to think that the Taleban would disarm. This whole situation is more complicated than a brief post could explain, but just keep in mind a few main points.

1. Afghanistan is not an homogenous population. It contains several tribes and ethic groups. The Pashtun, traditionally the "ruling" tribe, are about 20% of the population. Other tribes are found in the North, another is a Shia group near Iran and there are other smaller groups.

2. None of these groups particularly like each other, in particular they don't like the Pashtun. Also, within the tribal and ethnic groups there is little unity with each group playing against the other for local power.

3. In the 1700's, the Pashtun decided they would rule Afghanistan when one of their own declared himself king. In truth he controlled very little outside of Kahbul (sp.), but the Afghani kings have all been Pashtun since, and the other tribes don't like it.

4. Both the British and Russians drew and redrew the border lines of Afghanistan to give themselves political advantage. The British wanted to protect their Crown Colony of India and the Russians wanted the threaten it. The result of centuries of border changes drawn up in London and Moscow is that these tribal groups are divided between several countries. The Pashtun, for example, are divided between Southern Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan. Tribal alliance is stronger than national alliance, so they do what they want.

Taking all of this into account, the area is very unstable. In my opinion, we should have delayed going into Afghanistan by a few months, gone in in force, taken Bin Lauden (meaning kill him in the field), same with as many of his mean as possible, and told the UN to take over nation building. We would stay to provide some security, but if the UN pulled out, so should we. If Afghanistan then fell back under the Taleban, they might behave a little better because we had come for them once and could do it again.

As it is we have stayed there too long and they have learned how to fight us. Mostly they know that they have outlasted us and they have kept their top people safe from us. They see what this administration is doing to the CIA and will probably soon do so special operations and regular troops as well. I really don't think this "torture" and "war crimes" stuff is going to stop anytime soon, not now that lawyers smell fame and money.

In a message dated 4/24/2009 6:26:57 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

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