Afghanistan: The Next War
Adil Najam September 14, 1998
#12 Posted by sarwar on December 13, 2001 5:01:42 pm
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#11 Posted by mohajir on April 13, 2000 3:36:51 pm
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Asia_China/2000-04/fisk130400.shtml
Robert Fisk: Struggle continues for `unfashionable` Afghans
By Robert Fisk in Mardan, North West Frontier
13 April 2000
Their camps are little Afghanistans, streets of mud and wattle huts, a wooden gate padlocked on to dry earth, a flurry of goats, wooden roofsoverhanging earthen walls, a dust road and women who scurry into darkened rooms at the sight of a stranger. In the schools, the girls are taught, ``Yak, du, se, char, panj, shash...``, chorusing the Farsi numerals from beneath a tent.
The United Nations would like them all to go home, all 1.2 million of them in Pakistan. In the UN compound in Peshawar – with its carefully laid out gardens and air conditioning – they run a ``repatriation`` programme to send the Afghans ``home``. Travel to Jalalabad or Kabul and you`ll be given rupees, a blanket, food.
But why do you need a ``programme`` if all is well in Afghanistan? It`s not, of course, as the UN well knows. If the Taliban have provided security, they have created a state without a government, a theocracy without a nation.
So is it any surprise that all these miniature Afghanistans have blossomed along the border with Pakistan?
I walk into Mir Abdul Saeed`s home. Three of his brothers were killed in the war. Sergeant Mir Abdul Waser was a 26-year-old married soldier. Saeed Ahmed Shah was a 21-year-old army medical officer. Both were torn apart by rockets. Saeed Habib was a 20-year-old, killed on convoy escort duty in Pakman by the mujahedin. Mir Abdul Saeed`s cousin, Saed Ahmed, was killed, too, with his aunt`s brother, 45-year-old Wali Mohamed.
``I blame the selfishness of the various groups of people who want to rule,`` the old man says. ``They only think about their interests and not those of the people.``
Where was the last place I heard this? In Kosovo? In the Palestinian camps of Lebanon? In the Sahrawi camps of south-west Algeria?
And old? Did I write ``old`` in my notebook? Mir Abdul Saeed was an engineer in Kabul, an educated man of good family who travelled pre-war in India, Iran, Russia and Poland. Now he looks as if he is approaching 65, even 70. He is 46.
If Shangri La is the place of eternal youth, the refugee camp outside Mardan is a land of eternal age. Lines and hanging flesh mark the faces of the young. And they live in fear – of theft, of kidnapping, of overnight shooting. If the Taliban have imposed law – of a kind – in Afghanistan, there is still anarchy here.
And the desolation of half a society. The women talk to us with a kind of resignation. There is the 18-year-old whose mother wishes her to complete her education beyond grade eight but whose fiancé`s parents – in Saudi Arabia – insist that her education must finish early. There are the 15-year-old twin girls who studied to grade six but can only continue their education outside the camp. But the only transport outside is a four-wheel-drive that carries men only. They cannot leave. The camp is a prison without wire.
Every earthen hut could fill a reporter`s notebook. A family from Peshajee who speak a village dialect, farmers, nomads, an old lady, an old man, two sons with wives, one with six children, the other with five. No doctors, no access to a health clinic. An attempt by aid workers to talk to the women about childbirth, the avoidance of close pregnancies, was treated with scorn. A girl says to us: ``I will bear as many children as God gives me – the land will take the weight of the child and God will provide.``
Rahmina is 30 but looks 50, a beautiful woman with lively eyes, a sense of humour, a miraculous lack of complaints about life. She has never been to school, she cannot read or write and she cares for her seven children in a two-room hut. ``Life is easier in our camp,`` she says. ``Back home in Afghanistan, we had one small room for our entire family while here I have two rooms just for my husband and seven children. I`d love to study but it`s finished with me. My husband wouldn`t let me.``
Three female schoolteachers express their pain. They come from the cities of Afghanistan – the educated city dwellers cannot believe they live in mud huts rather than brick houses, beside illiterate farmers. The women`s university in Peshawar has been closed down (a big thank you here to the Taliban) but the schoolteachers work on; Malika`s husband takes care of their three children – he has four from a previous marriage – while she attends the Pakistani university in the morning and teaches in the afternoon. At last, an Afghan man who sets an example. Others do not. Outside in the street, I am taking photographs when a man approaches holding a cricket bat. ``It`s enough!`` a woman warns me. ``No more pictures.``
Around the camp are little pools of charity. The Bibi Mariam High School headmaster is Amanollah Nasrallah, who commutes to his home town of Jalalabad to teach two kindergarten classes when he is not in the camp with his 120 teachers and 3,000 pupils.
I listen by the tented classrooms. ``One, two, three...`` They learn the English numerals now. Then the Farsi, then one to 10 in Pashtu, dusty shafts of sunlight penetrating the dark tents as five-year-old girls read the Koran in high, screeching voices. They are the people of a dead country, seeking in the heat and dust a vague, computerless future.
In another square earthen room, I find a former employee of the Afghan ministry of technology whose home was destroyed by fighting between the Jamiat Islami and Hezbil Islami parties in Kabul. He is in his forties, looks closer to 78 or 79. ``The Afghan government promised to give peace and food and money to the people but they couldn`t do it,`` he says. ``After the Najib regime was overthrown, the mujahedin promised us peace and security and food and they couldn`t do it. Now there is fighting between the Islamic groups. Yes I blame all – the Americans, the Russians, the British, especially Pakistan because they help the Taliban.``
Another Afghan refugee casts his own cynical gaze upon this tired, hopeless camp world. ``We are no longer fashionable, we Afghans, and you don`t care about us anymore,`` he says. ``We have to deal with the Pakistanis. And with the UN. You know about the UN? They have what we call `hunting` seasons – when they are in full cry. The UN hunting seasons are war, earthquakes and returning refugees. We are part of the third UN hunting season. They want us to go back in one of their programmes. To what?``
Robert Fisk: Struggle continues for `unfashionable` Afghans
By Robert Fisk in Mardan, North West Frontier
13 April 2000
Their camps are little Afghanistans, streets of mud and wattle huts, a wooden gate padlocked on to dry earth, a flurry of goats, wooden roofsoverhanging earthen walls, a dust road and women who scurry into darkened rooms at the sight of a stranger. In the schools, the girls are taught, ``Yak, du, se, char, panj, shash...``, chorusing the Farsi numerals from beneath a tent.
The United Nations would like them all to go home, all 1.2 million of them in Pakistan. In the UN compound in Peshawar – with its carefully laid out gardens and air conditioning – they run a ``repatriation`` programme to send the Afghans ``home``. Travel to Jalalabad or Kabul and you`ll be given rupees, a blanket, food.
But why do you need a ``programme`` if all is well in Afghanistan? It`s not, of course, as the UN well knows. If the Taliban have provided security, they have created a state without a government, a theocracy without a nation.
So is it any surprise that all these miniature Afghanistans have blossomed along the border with Pakistan?
I walk into Mir Abdul Saeed`s home. Three of his brothers were killed in the war. Sergeant Mir Abdul Waser was a 26-year-old married soldier. Saeed Ahmed Shah was a 21-year-old army medical officer. Both were torn apart by rockets. Saeed Habib was a 20-year-old, killed on convoy escort duty in Pakman by the mujahedin. Mir Abdul Saeed`s cousin, Saed Ahmed, was killed, too, with his aunt`s brother, 45-year-old Wali Mohamed.
``I blame the selfishness of the various groups of people who want to rule,`` the old man says. ``They only think about their interests and not those of the people.``
Where was the last place I heard this? In Kosovo? In the Palestinian camps of Lebanon? In the Sahrawi camps of south-west Algeria?
And old? Did I write ``old`` in my notebook? Mir Abdul Saeed was an engineer in Kabul, an educated man of good family who travelled pre-war in India, Iran, Russia and Poland. Now he looks as if he is approaching 65, even 70. He is 46.
If Shangri La is the place of eternal youth, the refugee camp outside Mardan is a land of eternal age. Lines and hanging flesh mark the faces of the young. And they live in fear – of theft, of kidnapping, of overnight shooting. If the Taliban have imposed law – of a kind – in Afghanistan, there is still anarchy here.
And the desolation of half a society. The women talk to us with a kind of resignation. There is the 18-year-old whose mother wishes her to complete her education beyond grade eight but whose fiancé`s parents – in Saudi Arabia – insist that her education must finish early. There are the 15-year-old twin girls who studied to grade six but can only continue their education outside the camp. But the only transport outside is a four-wheel-drive that carries men only. They cannot leave. The camp is a prison without wire.
Every earthen hut could fill a reporter`s notebook. A family from Peshajee who speak a village dialect, farmers, nomads, an old lady, an old man, two sons with wives, one with six children, the other with five. No doctors, no access to a health clinic. An attempt by aid workers to talk to the women about childbirth, the avoidance of close pregnancies, was treated with scorn. A girl says to us: ``I will bear as many children as God gives me – the land will take the weight of the child and God will provide.``
Rahmina is 30 but looks 50, a beautiful woman with lively eyes, a sense of humour, a miraculous lack of complaints about life. She has never been to school, she cannot read or write and she cares for her seven children in a two-room hut. ``Life is easier in our camp,`` she says. ``Back home in Afghanistan, we had one small room for our entire family while here I have two rooms just for my husband and seven children. I`d love to study but it`s finished with me. My husband wouldn`t let me.``
Three female schoolteachers express their pain. They come from the cities of Afghanistan – the educated city dwellers cannot believe they live in mud huts rather than brick houses, beside illiterate farmers. The women`s university in Peshawar has been closed down (a big thank you here to the Taliban) but the schoolteachers work on; Malika`s husband takes care of their three children – he has four from a previous marriage – while she attends the Pakistani university in the morning and teaches in the afternoon. At last, an Afghan man who sets an example. Others do not. Outside in the street, I am taking photographs when a man approaches holding a cricket bat. ``It`s enough!`` a woman warns me. ``No more pictures.``
Around the camp are little pools of charity. The Bibi Mariam High School headmaster is Amanollah Nasrallah, who commutes to his home town of Jalalabad to teach two kindergarten classes when he is not in the camp with his 120 teachers and 3,000 pupils.
I listen by the tented classrooms. ``One, two, three...`` They learn the English numerals now. Then the Farsi, then one to 10 in Pashtu, dusty shafts of sunlight penetrating the dark tents as five-year-old girls read the Koran in high, screeching voices. They are the people of a dead country, seeking in the heat and dust a vague, computerless future.
In another square earthen room, I find a former employee of the Afghan ministry of technology whose home was destroyed by fighting between the Jamiat Islami and Hezbil Islami parties in Kabul. He is in his forties, looks closer to 78 or 79. ``The Afghan government promised to give peace and food and money to the people but they couldn`t do it,`` he says. ``After the Najib regime was overthrown, the mujahedin promised us peace and security and food and they couldn`t do it. Now there is fighting between the Islamic groups. Yes I blame all – the Americans, the Russians, the British, especially Pakistan because they help the Taliban.``
Another Afghan refugee casts his own cynical gaze upon this tired, hopeless camp world. ``We are no longer fashionable, we Afghans, and you don`t care about us anymore,`` he says. ``We have to deal with the Pakistanis. And with the UN. You know about the UN? They have what we call `hunting` seasons – when they are in full cry. The UN hunting seasons are war, earthquakes and returning refugees. We are part of the third UN hunting season. They want us to go back in one of their programmes. To what?``
#10 Posted by SR on September 19, 1998 10:20:49 am
Re: Malangg:
My dear friend, I most sincerely hope that you are right and I am wrong (in our assessment of Pakistan`s future). The twenty or thirty states I mentioned were not all to come from Pakistan. Pakistan, I don`t think can be split up into more than seven or eight parts at most. The remaining pieces come from the liberation of what is now the Federal empire of New Delhi. But that`s another debate that I wish to humbly bow out of.
I didn`t try to `discredit` what you said about your experience at Torkhum where you asked people coming from across the border. I was merely countering personal experience and observation with personal experience of my own. The point was to elicit the anecdotal and random nature of such experiences and how they can be blown out of proportion. Afghanistan was neither at piece then, nor is it today. You had attempted to imply that the Taliban were the best thing that happened since Zahir Shah. That was what got me going. Its a a dirty affair and the less Pakistan gets involved the better for its people.
It really amazes me how narrow the definition of national security is in the minds of South Asians. They all seem to equate national security with `territorial sancitity`. In fact national security is much more than that. Its mostly to do with the security of the lives of the people. It comes with the rule of law (physical security), economic prosperity and education. Pakistan does not have any one of those getting better than before. The company Pakistan wishes to keep is a sad and sorry one.
I came across a rather sobering fact which I`ll share. All 58 muslim majority countries of the world have a combined GNP which is less than that of France alone. Don`t even mention Germany, or Japan or the USA. Its one fifth of human pupulation and less than 5% GNP. I have not yet verified this fact from the Almanac myself. But as I was going through adding up the GNPs of some of these muslim countires, I noticed that ALL oil `rich` Arab Gulf States, COMBINED, have a GNP which is less than the Benalux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxumbourg). Belgium alone exceeds the combined GNP of Kuwait, Beharain, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Yeman. Again I digress...
Lastly, I think we have an agreement. The Hyena is indeed a superior animal to the militant murderers of the various fanatical sects. I should have used the example of slime, scorpions and cockroaches instead of Hyena and coyote. Sorry about that. :)
...SR
My dear friend, I most sincerely hope that you are right and I am wrong (in our assessment of Pakistan`s future). The twenty or thirty states I mentioned were not all to come from Pakistan. Pakistan, I don`t think can be split up into more than seven or eight parts at most. The remaining pieces come from the liberation of what is now the Federal empire of New Delhi. But that`s another debate that I wish to humbly bow out of.
I didn`t try to `discredit` what you said about your experience at Torkhum where you asked people coming from across the border. I was merely countering personal experience and observation with personal experience of my own. The point was to elicit the anecdotal and random nature of such experiences and how they can be blown out of proportion. Afghanistan was neither at piece then, nor is it today. You had attempted to imply that the Taliban were the best thing that happened since Zahir Shah. That was what got me going. Its a a dirty affair and the less Pakistan gets involved the better for its people.
It really amazes me how narrow the definition of national security is in the minds of South Asians. They all seem to equate national security with `territorial sancitity`. In fact national security is much more than that. Its mostly to do with the security of the lives of the people. It comes with the rule of law (physical security), economic prosperity and education. Pakistan does not have any one of those getting better than before. The company Pakistan wishes to keep is a sad and sorry one.
I came across a rather sobering fact which I`ll share. All 58 muslim majority countries of the world have a combined GNP which is less than that of France alone. Don`t even mention Germany, or Japan or the USA. Its one fifth of human pupulation and less than 5% GNP. I have not yet verified this fact from the Almanac myself. But as I was going through adding up the GNPs of some of these muslim countires, I noticed that ALL oil `rich` Arab Gulf States, COMBINED, have a GNP which is less than the Benalux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxumbourg). Belgium alone exceeds the combined GNP of Kuwait, Beharain, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Yeman. Again I digress...
Lastly, I think we have an agreement. The Hyena is indeed a superior animal to the militant murderers of the various fanatical sects. I should have used the example of slime, scorpions and cockroaches instead of Hyena and coyote. Sorry about that. :)
...SR
#9 Posted by malangg on September 18, 1998 9:39:57 am
Re: Sohail
Sohail,
As much as I dislike taking specific sentences out to criticize, `cause by doing so one misses out on the big picture-I`ll do so here:
Your veiled (obvious??) attempt to discredit me with your tale of a safe passage through Afghanistan is not really strong. Afghanistan covers a lot more then the `60` miles of it`s territory that you covered. In January of this year, I went to Karachi and stayed in Defence Phase V. I did not see any fighting, rioting, strikes, killings by snipers etc, at
all. All the stores remained open and things were fine; would it make sense then for me to say to people that things are fine in Karachi, and
that there are no problems?? You decide.
As far as your opinion that Pakistan may not survive you, somehow I think that it will, and will not be divided into `20 or 30` smaller states.
We are a young nation, and are going through turmoil as we come to terms with our identity. Our nation was almost crippled at birth and has
struggled hard to survive, but I digress...you and I differ at the core of our philosophies and ideology, so my intention is/was not to change
your views, but air my views on the current situation in Afghanistan.
I am glad though, that you and your companions made your way through a region in turmoil safely.
as always peace.
Da Malangg
P.S Sohail, you were a bit harsh towards the Hyena, but then most are. A few facts: The Hyena is a very strong mammal, it`s jaws are stronger then that of the Lion and has more tearing power, but unfortunately nature (perhaps to maintain a balance lest other creatures are wiped out), has
endowed Hyenas with weak and short hind legs, which prevent it from moving quickly. It has strong familial bonds and fiercly protects it`s young. It moves and hunts in packs, and when unable to bring down a much faster
prey, it will seek out those who can and drive them away from it`s kill
(even lions have to give up their kill).
Survival at all costs and compensate for any shortcomings..... ;-)
Sohail,
As much as I dislike taking specific sentences out to criticize, `cause by doing so one misses out on the big picture-I`ll do so here:
Your veiled (obvious??) attempt to discredit me with your tale of a safe passage through Afghanistan is not really strong. Afghanistan covers a lot more then the `60` miles of it`s territory that you covered. In January of this year, I went to Karachi and stayed in Defence Phase V. I did not see any fighting, rioting, strikes, killings by snipers etc, at
all. All the stores remained open and things were fine; would it make sense then for me to say to people that things are fine in Karachi, and
that there are no problems?? You decide.
As far as your opinion that Pakistan may not survive you, somehow I think that it will, and will not be divided into `20 or 30` smaller states.
We are a young nation, and are going through turmoil as we come to terms with our identity. Our nation was almost crippled at birth and has
struggled hard to survive, but I digress...you and I differ at the core of our philosophies and ideology, so my intention is/was not to change
your views, but air my views on the current situation in Afghanistan.
I am glad though, that you and your companions made your way through a region in turmoil safely.
as always peace.
Da Malangg
P.S Sohail, you were a bit harsh towards the Hyena, but then most are. A few facts: The Hyena is a very strong mammal, it`s jaws are stronger then that of the Lion and has more tearing power, but unfortunately nature (perhaps to maintain a balance lest other creatures are wiped out), has
endowed Hyenas with weak and short hind legs, which prevent it from moving quickly. It has strong familial bonds and fiercly protects it`s young. It moves and hunts in packs, and when unable to bring down a much faster
prey, it will seek out those who can and drive them away from it`s kill
(even lions have to give up their kill).
Survival at all costs and compensate for any shortcomings..... ;-)
#8 Posted by SR on September 17, 1998 9:24:46 am
Shahbaz Sep-16-98 Reply #: 7
Shbz:
(``… ``Beards, turbans and nuclear bombs...`` sounding a lot like what Nostrodomus (sp?) prophecied ? I think he prophecied that the Nuclear bombing of NewYork would be carried out by the bearded, turbaned (green turban to be exact ) one and the region specified was the vicinity of Ira…``)
Response:
The trouble I have with that dead monk`s sayings is that he has posthumously become a prophetic whore. He `says` whatever the editors of the National Enquirer want him to say. What he really says, if you read between the lines, is, ``… buy the useless products advertised in this paper and feel like pseudo-intellectuals after reading my oft recycled mumbo-jumbo, you dim-witted sensational thrill seeking, soap opera watching idiots.``
Re: malangg Sep-15-98 Reply #: 5
Mlng:
(``…Iran` involvement with Tehrik-e-Nifaze Jafria is no secret. Tehrike Jafria has it`s radical wing involved in criminal acts just like Sipah sahabas. Both parties are guilty of killings in the name of their respective ideologies, however Iran` role in this problem cannot be ignored…``)
Malangg jee:
Please don`t be upset that I singled out the ASS (anjuman-i-sipah-i-sahaba) and didn`t mention the Tehrike Jaffaria. The reason ASS came to mind was because I believe they have the upper hand, not because I believe that they are any more, or less, evil than those carrying other variants of the same virulent pathogen: militant religiosity.
To decry the evils of the hyena does not automatically mean that one favors the coyote. They are both opportunistic scavengers.
Mlng:
(``…Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the Soviet troops, was hell. The country was ruled by various warlords whose loyalties were bought by the highest bidder. No one was safe from these warlords, if one hapenned to be in their territories. Abduction and rape of women, killing and looting was common everyday occurence…Having travelled in the NWFP, upto Torkham, and speaking with Afghan refugees I have heard from them a number of similar horror stories…``)
Response:
I don`t know how recently you`ve investigated this, but I had a glimpse of the Afghan countryside in 1992. I had not been to Afghanistan since the mid 1970s, so I didn`t know what to expect. It was early spring and flights to Chitral were cancelled due to weather and the road access through Dir was blocked due to winter snows and an avalanche. We were hell bent upon it so we disguised ourselves and traveled on a minibus operated by the local tribals. Two women (a German and a second-generation British-Pakistani) travel companions and I made our way from Peshawar, through Afghanistan. The minibus route took us through the tribal area and crossed the border going sixty miles deep into Afghanistan till we crossed the Kunar River and traveled north along its west bank, through territory controlled at the time by Gulbudin Hikmatyar`s faction. We stopped at a village along the way from food, rest and refueling. We were in Afghan territory for almost 24 hours before winding our way back into Chitral. I saw the countryside in ruins with destroyed and abandoned Soviet tanks and other armaments being a common site. Gun slinging mujahideen were everywhere. We were not robbed and my female companions were not molested.
I doubt if the general law and order situation is not just a convenient justification used by the winning faction (which, in this case happens to be the Taliban) to legitimize their brutal action. Whether is the Iranians, or Uzbek or whoever, its still a case of hyenas versus coyotes.
Mlng:
(``…commentary is off the point … I do agree with him that sectarian rift within Pakistan is not good for stability in the country and the welfare of people in general…``)
Response:
Yes my commentary WAS off the point in that I was not interested in siding with either the hyena or the coyote, but I am a bit concerned about the spillover effects of this pissing contest between the bigots and the fascists.
Mlng:
(``…Pakistan has managed without my help and yours, and I think it will be here long after both of us are gone…``)
Response:
If what you see there is called ``managed``, then I shudder to think what you would call ``mismanaged``? As for Pakistan being there `long after both of us are gone`, I am not too sure. I certainly hope and wish to be around for another twenty-five years or so, but I`m not sure if the rump Pakistan will? I, for one, strongly believe that the lot of the average people in the Indian subcontinent cannot and will not improve until the imperialistic federal states in Islamabad and New Delhi are not dismantled in favor of a commonwealth of 20 to thirty smaller sovereign states.
Mlng:
(``…Pakistan cannot afford to distance itself from Afghanistan. countries hostile to us are/have been involved in Afghanistan so our own interests have to be protected…``)
Response:
Insofar as Mazaar-i-Sharif area grows the best poppy with the highest yield, our `interests` are clearly at stake. But you know what? The Prussians and the Austro-Hungarians also employed similar reasoning when they got involved in regional wars.
...SR
Shbz:
(``… ``Beards, turbans and nuclear bombs...`` sounding a lot like what Nostrodomus (sp?) prophecied ? I think he prophecied that the Nuclear bombing of NewYork would be carried out by the bearded, turbaned (green turban to be exact ) one and the region specified was the vicinity of Ira…``)
Response:
The trouble I have with that dead monk`s sayings is that he has posthumously become a prophetic whore. He `says` whatever the editors of the National Enquirer want him to say. What he really says, if you read between the lines, is, ``… buy the useless products advertised in this paper and feel like pseudo-intellectuals after reading my oft recycled mumbo-jumbo, you dim-witted sensational thrill seeking, soap opera watching idiots.``
Re: malangg Sep-15-98 Reply #: 5
Mlng:
(``…Iran` involvement with Tehrik-e-Nifaze Jafria is no secret. Tehrike Jafria has it`s radical wing involved in criminal acts just like Sipah sahabas. Both parties are guilty of killings in the name of their respective ideologies, however Iran` role in this problem cannot be ignored…``)
Malangg jee:
Please don`t be upset that I singled out the ASS (anjuman-i-sipah-i-sahaba) and didn`t mention the Tehrike Jaffaria. The reason ASS came to mind was because I believe they have the upper hand, not because I believe that they are any more, or less, evil than those carrying other variants of the same virulent pathogen: militant religiosity.
To decry the evils of the hyena does not automatically mean that one favors the coyote. They are both opportunistic scavengers.
Mlng:
(``…Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the Soviet troops, was hell. The country was ruled by various warlords whose loyalties were bought by the highest bidder. No one was safe from these warlords, if one hapenned to be in their territories. Abduction and rape of women, killing and looting was common everyday occurence…Having travelled in the NWFP, upto Torkham, and speaking with Afghan refugees I have heard from them a number of similar horror stories…``)
Response:
I don`t know how recently you`ve investigated this, but I had a glimpse of the Afghan countryside in 1992. I had not been to Afghanistan since the mid 1970s, so I didn`t know what to expect. It was early spring and flights to Chitral were cancelled due to weather and the road access through Dir was blocked due to winter snows and an avalanche. We were hell bent upon it so we disguised ourselves and traveled on a minibus operated by the local tribals. Two women (a German and a second-generation British-Pakistani) travel companions and I made our way from Peshawar, through Afghanistan. The minibus route took us through the tribal area and crossed the border going sixty miles deep into Afghanistan till we crossed the Kunar River and traveled north along its west bank, through territory controlled at the time by Gulbudin Hikmatyar`s faction. We stopped at a village along the way from food, rest and refueling. We were in Afghan territory for almost 24 hours before winding our way back into Chitral. I saw the countryside in ruins with destroyed and abandoned Soviet tanks and other armaments being a common site. Gun slinging mujahideen were everywhere. We were not robbed and my female companions were not molested.
I doubt if the general law and order situation is not just a convenient justification used by the winning faction (which, in this case happens to be the Taliban) to legitimize their brutal action. Whether is the Iranians, or Uzbek or whoever, its still a case of hyenas versus coyotes.
Mlng:
(``…commentary is off the point … I do agree with him that sectarian rift within Pakistan is not good for stability in the country and the welfare of people in general…``)
Response:
Yes my commentary WAS off the point in that I was not interested in siding with either the hyena or the coyote, but I am a bit concerned about the spillover effects of this pissing contest between the bigots and the fascists.
Mlng:
(``…Pakistan has managed without my help and yours, and I think it will be here long after both of us are gone…``)
Response:
If what you see there is called ``managed``, then I shudder to think what you would call ``mismanaged``? As for Pakistan being there `long after both of us are gone`, I am not too sure. I certainly hope and wish to be around for another twenty-five years or so, but I`m not sure if the rump Pakistan will? I, for one, strongly believe that the lot of the average people in the Indian subcontinent cannot and will not improve until the imperialistic federal states in Islamabad and New Delhi are not dismantled in favor of a commonwealth of 20 to thirty smaller sovereign states.
Mlng:
(``…Pakistan cannot afford to distance itself from Afghanistan. countries hostile to us are/have been involved in Afghanistan so our own interests have to be protected…``)
Response:
Insofar as Mazaar-i-Sharif area grows the best poppy with the highest yield, our `interests` are clearly at stake. But you know what? The Prussians and the Austro-Hungarians also employed similar reasoning when they got involved in regional wars.
...SR
#7 Posted by ferozk on September 16, 1998 7:08:13 pm
Nostadamus ? Predications of doom in the middle east ? Blue turbans and religious leaders ? A bibical ending of New York, the modern day Sodom and Gomarrah ? Great ! Where do I buy the tickets; is there a discount on the t-shirts ?
Nostradamus did say in one of his quartrains that a blue turbaned leader from the area of present day Iran will start the next world war. That war, according to Nostradamus, will start in the seventh month of the year 1999. That quartrain was attributed to Khomeni by many observers; then later it was amended to describe the Funny Face in Iraq. Who knows what Nostradamus said and meant. The man was a French monk ! There are too many variations to his quartrains, four lines written in a riddle signifiying the future.
Just for the sake of argument, where will the Talebans get the nuclear weapons ? ISI ? What about the role of the Pakistani military in Afghanistan ? Hell, if the German Condor Legion, made of Hitler`s Luftwaffe, could bomb Spain on the behalf of Franco, why can`t the PAF bomb the anti-Talebans ? There is no subsitute to real combat conditions and the PAF is getting combat experinced pilots in the bargin. Way to go !
Come on folks, it has been over twenty years since we had a lovely little war and besides, the Iranians do not have the Bomb. I am confident our army is dying for some military glory, why not give it to them ? If and when we lose, the army can always blame Nawaz Sharif and do another coup d` etat. That way, the US will restore all our aid since they have a weakness for military juntas that kill their own in the name of preserving the American economic interests !
Sarcasm, God I love it ! ! !
Nostradamus did say in one of his quartrains that a blue turbaned leader from the area of present day Iran will start the next world war. That war, according to Nostradamus, will start in the seventh month of the year 1999. That quartrain was attributed to Khomeni by many observers; then later it was amended to describe the Funny Face in Iraq. Who knows what Nostradamus said and meant. The man was a French monk ! There are too many variations to his quartrains, four lines written in a riddle signifiying the future.
Just for the sake of argument, where will the Talebans get the nuclear weapons ? ISI ? What about the role of the Pakistani military in Afghanistan ? Hell, if the German Condor Legion, made of Hitler`s Luftwaffe, could bomb Spain on the behalf of Franco, why can`t the PAF bomb the anti-Talebans ? There is no subsitute to real combat conditions and the PAF is getting combat experinced pilots in the bargin. Way to go !
Come on folks, it has been over twenty years since we had a lovely little war and besides, the Iranians do not have the Bomb. I am confident our army is dying for some military glory, why not give it to them ? If and when we lose, the army can always blame Nawaz Sharif and do another coup d` etat. That way, the US will restore all our aid since they have a weakness for military juntas that kill their own in the name of preserving the American economic interests !
Sarcasm, God I love it ! ! !
#6 Posted by khuramrizvi on September 16, 1998 7:08:13 pm
The day before yesterday, in a small town near Islamabad, three houses and a shia mosque were burnt to ashes when Sipah-e-Sahaba activists were demonstrating against the killing of one of it`s leaders in Wah Cantt. After burning the houses of those poor people and setting a mosque on fire, Sipha-e-Sahaba activists gathered infront of the Parliament house, Islamabad, openly threatning that they wouldn`t take the complaint to police, but will take revenge from four politicians, who also happen to be shia.(DAWN, The News, Independent sources 09-15-98)
Unfortunately I happen to know Mr. Shoaib Nadeem(slained Siph-e-Sahaba leader``may Allah forgive him for whatever he started``) since my home is with in the reach of the speakers of the mosque from which he used to shout ``Shias are infidels``. I also happen to know those three poor muslim families who happen to belong to shia faith and also know that none of them have a heart even to slaughter a cow during Eid-ul_Azha let alone killing a human. As far as the mosque burnt, along with many copies of Holy Quran, very rare books by different scholars,and a manuscript originally written by the great grand son of the last Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), was a humble donation of a old couple, one of whom is Shia muslim and the other is Sunni.
It seems like Pakistan has completely been hijacked by a bunch of true followers of ``peace``, who happen to be very blood thirsty but very ``peace`` loving. I hope these people understand that some times one`s own house catches fire by burning the neighbor`s door.
replies...comments??
Unfortunately I happen to know Mr. Shoaib Nadeem(slained Siph-e-Sahaba leader``may Allah forgive him for whatever he started``) since my home is with in the reach of the speakers of the mosque from which he used to shout ``Shias are infidels``. I also happen to know those three poor muslim families who happen to belong to shia faith and also know that none of them have a heart even to slaughter a cow during Eid-ul_Azha let alone killing a human. As far as the mosque burnt, along with many copies of Holy Quran, very rare books by different scholars,and a manuscript originally written by the great grand son of the last Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), was a humble donation of a old couple, one of whom is Shia muslim and the other is Sunni.
It seems like Pakistan has completely been hijacked by a bunch of true followers of ``peace``, who happen to be very blood thirsty but very ``peace`` loving. I hope these people understand that some times one`s own house catches fire by burning the neighbor`s door.
replies...comments??
#5 Posted by BG on September 16, 1998 9:57:09 am
re SR
you`re on the money again: the cia and pentagon are poised, eyes on islamabad; the dimwits in islamabad, and the pagri-darhi wallahs will oblige as always. scary, but the way you describe it, very likely.
you`re on the money again: the cia and pentagon are poised, eyes on islamabad; the dimwits in islamabad, and the pagri-darhi wallahs will oblige as always. scary, but the way you describe it, very likely.
#4 Posted by malangg on September 15, 1998 1:49:55 pm
re SR:
It is interesting to me that most of the comments made on/against the Taliban on this forum follow,
or are based on the current news stories in the mainstream western media, especially recently since the mounting of tension b/w Iran and Afghanistan.
I have yet to hear from someone who has been following the Taliban movement since it started.
The history of the Taliban and Iran`s involvement in the region is obviously beyond the scope of this document...nonetheless some comments are needed.
Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the Soviet troops, was hell. The country was ruled by various warlords whose loyalties were bought by the highest bidder. No one was safe from these warlords, if one hapenned to be in their territories. Abduction and rape of women, killing and looting was common everyday occurence.
The above can be verified by anyone who is willing to do a bit of research (the web is a descent resource). Having travelled in the NWFP, upto Torkham, and speaking with Afghan refugees I have heard from them a number of similar horror stories.
Iran has been constantly arming Masood (one of the big warlords) with weapons and hard currency. There are training facilities in Iran in Mashad. A lot of Afghan
blood has been spilled by Iranian weapons, so the
posture, by Iran, of an innocent party hurt by the Taliban is laughable.
India has also had a presence in Afghanistan and provided Masood with aircraft parts, new ground radars, bombs money and two MIG-21`s. So one could argue convincingly that India has also spilled afghan blood.
Russia has been arming the Uzbek warlord Dostum with weapons too, as well as Afghan currency printed in Moscow...Moscow!! if this does not strike people as surreal then well...but I digress,
lets move on..
By the way the above mentioned facts can also be easily verified..I`ll give out one source:
`The Far Eastern Economic Review, Feb 1 1996`.
Now back to the Taliban. Ever since their drive in Afghanistan, the areas that they have occupied have been peaceful. People coming and going to the region have told me that they feel safe when they travel..no one has to pay bribes for a safe passage. It is by no means an ideal situation, but it is a start. I personally do not agree with some of the things that I have heard about, i.e the restrictions on women, because no society can live in harmony unless both the sexes work together inorder to nurture it`s people.... but I`ll reserve judgement till I get a chance to speak to Afghanis in Pakistan and hear what they have to say (women as well as men).
Now the latest stink in the region is the death of
9 Irani (diplomats/spies/insurgents??). About a year ago, a warlord (Dostum?) agreed to a truce with the Taliban, and invited a number of Taliban commanders along with troops to Mazar-e-Sharif, for peace talks. Once the Taliban were in his teritory, he changed his mind and the Taliban were
massacarred (not killed in fighting). That incident was reported only briefly in the news media, (but it is there for those who want to verify this..look up say the NY Times archives).
When in the early part of the year the Taliban
finally managed to take over Mazar-e-sharif (the name is dripping with irony..) the Iranians who were fighting against the Taliban were killed.
Was it right? was it wrong?..the morality of war is not as clear to me as it is to some of Chowk`s readers.
Even though I think that Sohail Rabbani` commentary is off the point and he puts his $.02,
I do agree with him that sectarian rift within
Pakistan is not good for stability in the country and the welfare of people in general and not just minorities; but unlike him I won`t blame just the
Sipah-e-Sahaba as he so conviniently does.
Iran` involvement with Tehrik-e-Nifaze Jafria
is no secret. Tehrike Jafria has it`s radical wing
involved in criminal acts just like Sipah sahabas.
Both parties are guilty of killings in the name of
their respective ideologies, however Iran` role in this problem cannot be ignored.
As for my $.02 cents, Iran will not get involved
in a war with Afghanistan, as it`s not in their best interest.
And Sohail, you think that Pakistan`s decision to go nuclear was a mistake, that is your opinion, and can be argued..but perhaps some other time..
Pakistan has managed without my help and yours, and I think it will be here long after both of us
are gone.
Peace,
Malangg
P.S I apologize for any mistakes that I may have made, but today has been very hectic..tough classes all day. And Malanng has been known to ramble...:-)
P.P.S I realize that I mentioned India` involvement in Afghanistan without too much detail, but the point is that Pakistan cannot afford to distance itself from Afghanistan.
countries hostile to us are/have been involved in Afghanistan so our own interests have to be protected.
It is interesting to me that most of the comments made on/against the Taliban on this forum follow,
or are based on the current news stories in the mainstream western media, especially recently since the mounting of tension b/w Iran and Afghanistan.
I have yet to hear from someone who has been following the Taliban movement since it started.
The history of the Taliban and Iran`s involvement in the region is obviously beyond the scope of this document...nonetheless some comments are needed.
Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the Soviet troops, was hell. The country was ruled by various warlords whose loyalties were bought by the highest bidder. No one was safe from these warlords, if one hapenned to be in their territories. Abduction and rape of women, killing and looting was common everyday occurence.
The above can be verified by anyone who is willing to do a bit of research (the web is a descent resource). Having travelled in the NWFP, upto Torkham, and speaking with Afghan refugees I have heard from them a number of similar horror stories.
Iran has been constantly arming Masood (one of the big warlords) with weapons and hard currency. There are training facilities in Iran in Mashad. A lot of Afghan
blood has been spilled by Iranian weapons, so the
posture, by Iran, of an innocent party hurt by the Taliban is laughable.
India has also had a presence in Afghanistan and provided Masood with aircraft parts, new ground radars, bombs money and two MIG-21`s. So one could argue convincingly that India has also spilled afghan blood.
Russia has been arming the Uzbek warlord Dostum with weapons too, as well as Afghan currency printed in Moscow...Moscow!! if this does not strike people as surreal then well...but I digress,
lets move on..
By the way the above mentioned facts can also be easily verified..I`ll give out one source:
`The Far Eastern Economic Review, Feb 1 1996`.
Now back to the Taliban. Ever since their drive in Afghanistan, the areas that they have occupied have been peaceful. People coming and going to the region have told me that they feel safe when they travel..no one has to pay bribes for a safe passage. It is by no means an ideal situation, but it is a start. I personally do not agree with some of the things that I have heard about, i.e the restrictions on women, because no society can live in harmony unless both the sexes work together inorder to nurture it`s people.... but I`ll reserve judgement till I get a chance to speak to Afghanis in Pakistan and hear what they have to say (women as well as men).
Now the latest stink in the region is the death of
9 Irani (diplomats/spies/insurgents??). About a year ago, a warlord (Dostum?) agreed to a truce with the Taliban, and invited a number of Taliban commanders along with troops to Mazar-e-Sharif, for peace talks. Once the Taliban were in his teritory, he changed his mind and the Taliban were
massacarred (not killed in fighting). That incident was reported only briefly in the news media, (but it is there for those who want to verify this..look up say the NY Times archives).
When in the early part of the year the Taliban
finally managed to take over Mazar-e-sharif (the name is dripping with irony..) the Iranians who were fighting against the Taliban were killed.
Was it right? was it wrong?..the morality of war is not as clear to me as it is to some of Chowk`s readers.
Even though I think that Sohail Rabbani` commentary is off the point and he puts his $.02,
I do agree with him that sectarian rift within
Pakistan is not good for stability in the country and the welfare of people in general and not just minorities; but unlike him I won`t blame just the
Sipah-e-Sahaba as he so conviniently does.
Iran` involvement with Tehrik-e-Nifaze Jafria
is no secret. Tehrike Jafria has it`s radical wing
involved in criminal acts just like Sipah sahabas.
Both parties are guilty of killings in the name of
their respective ideologies, however Iran` role in this problem cannot be ignored.
As for my $.02 cents, Iran will not get involved
in a war with Afghanistan, as it`s not in their best interest.
And Sohail, you think that Pakistan`s decision to go nuclear was a mistake, that is your opinion, and can be argued..but perhaps some other time..
Pakistan has managed without my help and yours, and I think it will be here long after both of us
are gone.
Peace,
Malangg
P.S I apologize for any mistakes that I may have made, but today has been very hectic..tough classes all day. And Malanng has been known to ramble...:-)
P.P.S I realize that I mentioned India` involvement in Afghanistan without too much detail, but the point is that Pakistan cannot afford to distance itself from Afghanistan.
countries hostile to us are/have been involved in Afghanistan so our own interests have to be protected.
#3 Posted by SR on September 15, 1998 10:10:20 am
There is another angle in this geopolitical labyrinth. Let`s step back from the trees and look at the forest.
Since the end of the Cold War, the world has been (as yet unsuccessfully) trying to find its new equilibrium. There is more regional chaos by the day and the security threat to the `developed world` (a euphemism for `inside the Beltway`) has only changed form. There may no longer be a nuclear holocaust threat, but dangers still abound, or at least so believe those whose business it is to sell the fears of war to the taxpayers. If, heaven forbid, there were no enemies left anywhere, profits at McDonnel Douglas and Lockheed would suffer and GDP would fall.
The world is poised at the brink of a possible deflationary period. Economies around the world need a stimulus. What better to stimulate economic activity than increased public sector spending (a decidedly Keynsian view, albeit fairly reasonable) on big projects. What better `project` than National Defense?
Lets examine how convenient Pakistan can make itself for the US Military Industrial Complex. From among the many duds in Islamabad a perfect `enemy` can be successfully cast for the star role which was last performed by comrade Yuri Andropov, and has been vacant since his death, when that spoil sport Gorbachev was brought on to the stage. Colonel Qaddafi, Daniel Ortega, General Noreiga, Pabulo Escabar, Saddam Hussain, and now, Osama bin Laden have all failed the endurance test. None of them was a credible enough threat, so none could hold the taxpayers` ever shrinking attention span long enough to get the congressional appropriations committee`s fiscal favors, CNN`s special effects notwithstanding. But Islamabad, thanks to the recently imbibed nuclear sharaab-i-tahoora, now has the right stuff to succeed where all the others, since Andropov, have failed. The stage is already set, only the finishing touches are required.
Imagine this scenario: The Iran-Afghan war in it aftermath brings about a wave of inter-sect turmoil in Pakistan. The Raiwind wallas, under Rafique Tarrar`s imamat, with aid from the ISI and Taliban factions aided by gun slinging members of Anjuman-i-Sipah-i-Sahabba becomes the dominant force after the political musical chairs end. Islamabad, the rotten apple that it is, comes to fall in the lap of Raiwind. Bingo, you have the magic combination. Beards, turbans and nuclear bombs.
That would galvanize the imagination of the CNN watching couch potatoes. Lockheed and General Dynamics stocks would break out of their two hundred day moving averages and the appropriations committee will be hearing from the chairman of the joint chiefs as to the billions required to counter new security threats.
Jest aside, this could really become a nightmare for those of us who don`t own stock in Raytheon. Not to mention the millions who will be condemned to live in the embattled fervor of a despotic theocratic state.
…SR
Since the end of the Cold War, the world has been (as yet unsuccessfully) trying to find its new equilibrium. There is more regional chaos by the day and the security threat to the `developed world` (a euphemism for `inside the Beltway`) has only changed form. There may no longer be a nuclear holocaust threat, but dangers still abound, or at least so believe those whose business it is to sell the fears of war to the taxpayers. If, heaven forbid, there were no enemies left anywhere, profits at McDonnel Douglas and Lockheed would suffer and GDP would fall.
The world is poised at the brink of a possible deflationary period. Economies around the world need a stimulus. What better to stimulate economic activity than increased public sector spending (a decidedly Keynsian view, albeit fairly reasonable) on big projects. What better `project` than National Defense?
Lets examine how convenient Pakistan can make itself for the US Military Industrial Complex. From among the many duds in Islamabad a perfect `enemy` can be successfully cast for the star role which was last performed by comrade Yuri Andropov, and has been vacant since his death, when that spoil sport Gorbachev was brought on to the stage. Colonel Qaddafi, Daniel Ortega, General Noreiga, Pabulo Escabar, Saddam Hussain, and now, Osama bin Laden have all failed the endurance test. None of them was a credible enough threat, so none could hold the taxpayers` ever shrinking attention span long enough to get the congressional appropriations committee`s fiscal favors, CNN`s special effects notwithstanding. But Islamabad, thanks to the recently imbibed nuclear sharaab-i-tahoora, now has the right stuff to succeed where all the others, since Andropov, have failed. The stage is already set, only the finishing touches are required.
Imagine this scenario: The Iran-Afghan war in it aftermath brings about a wave of inter-sect turmoil in Pakistan. The Raiwind wallas, under Rafique Tarrar`s imamat, with aid from the ISI and Taliban factions aided by gun slinging members of Anjuman-i-Sipah-i-Sahabba becomes the dominant force after the political musical chairs end. Islamabad, the rotten apple that it is, comes to fall in the lap of Raiwind. Bingo, you have the magic combination. Beards, turbans and nuclear bombs.
That would galvanize the imagination of the CNN watching couch potatoes. Lockheed and General Dynamics stocks would break out of their two hundred day moving averages and the appropriations committee will be hearing from the chairman of the joint chiefs as to the billions required to counter new security threats.
Jest aside, this could really become a nightmare for those of us who don`t own stock in Raytheon. Not to mention the millions who will be condemned to live in the embattled fervor of a despotic theocratic state.
…SR
#2 Posted by ferozk on September 14, 1998 7:10:52 pm
The Professor asks, ``how can the state department get away with it ?``
The answer is real simple. There is no marked difference between the American actions and the posturings of the Iranians. The Americans have never denied their policies vis a vis terrorist groups. If terrorists actions are proven to be responsible for American citizens getting killed, then the United States will retailate. It has been the American policy for the last twenty years and they have always followed what they said.
The Iranians, on the other hand, are doing pretty much the same thing. The Iranian caus belli for amassing some 200K plus troops near the Afghan border is to seek the return of their diplomats` bodies, right ? In other words, the Iranians are saying that they will not tolerate terrorists actions, by a sunni affliated group, against the shias in Afghanistan. What is wrong with that ? Nothing. Someone has to protect the right of the minorities from the religious numb nuts who claim to be true representatives of Islam.
I hope to Allah that someone has the courage to do the same for the minorities in Pakistan, because the government there is, sure as hell, determined to push them into a confrontation with its idiotic, selfishly inspired and destructive policies. Nawaz Sharif is a moron who seems willingly to destroy Pakistan as long as he remains in power. The leaders of Pakistan do not believe in Islam, but in the mantra of power. Their one and only god is not Allah, but the deification of power.
I did not mean get off on a rant, but I am disgusted by people, groups or what you will, who use Islam for their own personal ends. If I have to say something to Mian Nawaz Sharif, I will say the words uttered by Oliver Cromwell, to the Long Parliament circa 1642, when he said to them: ``You have sat here for too long and done no good. Go, go; in the name of God go, and be done with you !``
I am, as a personal policy, for anyone who raises his her voice against intolerance regardless of their sex, color, creed, ethnicity, or religious beliefs. By a similar token, I am against anyone, regardless of sex, creed etc. who preaches intolerance no matter what gods they might pray to.
This is way off topic, I realize that, but I had to say this.
The answer is real simple. There is no marked difference between the American actions and the posturings of the Iranians. The Americans have never denied their policies vis a vis terrorist groups. If terrorists actions are proven to be responsible for American citizens getting killed, then the United States will retailate. It has been the American policy for the last twenty years and they have always followed what they said.
The Iranians, on the other hand, are doing pretty much the same thing. The Iranian caus belli for amassing some 200K plus troops near the Afghan border is to seek the return of their diplomats` bodies, right ? In other words, the Iranians are saying that they will not tolerate terrorists actions, by a sunni affliated group, against the shias in Afghanistan. What is wrong with that ? Nothing. Someone has to protect the right of the minorities from the religious numb nuts who claim to be true representatives of Islam.
I hope to Allah that someone has the courage to do the same for the minorities in Pakistan, because the government there is, sure as hell, determined to push them into a confrontation with its idiotic, selfishly inspired and destructive policies. Nawaz Sharif is a moron who seems willingly to destroy Pakistan as long as he remains in power. The leaders of Pakistan do not believe in Islam, but in the mantra of power. Their one and only god is not Allah, but the deification of power.
I did not mean get off on a rant, but I am disgusted by people, groups or what you will, who use Islam for their own personal ends. If I have to say something to Mian Nawaz Sharif, I will say the words uttered by Oliver Cromwell, to the Long Parliament circa 1642, when he said to them: ``You have sat here for too long and done no good. Go, go; in the name of God go, and be done with you !``
I am, as a personal policy, for anyone who raises his her voice against intolerance regardless of their sex, color, creed, ethnicity, or religious beliefs. By a similar token, I am against anyone, regardless of sex, creed etc. who preaches intolerance no matter what gods they might pray to.
This is way off topic, I realize that, but I had to say this.
#1 Posted by afrasiyab on September 14, 1998 3:47:27 pm
No worries here.
Iran`s empty threats don`t mean a thing.
I don`t think the US has people in the Pentagon plannig for Iran`s demise through Afghanistan when they could not take care of the Iranians with the better equipped, better organized and oil rich Iraq whose govt. atleast had control over all of the territory while fighting Iran.
There is too much at stake as far as the US is concerned to let Iran loose on Afghanistan.
I predict that nothing is going to happen here.
Rest assured.
Iran`s empty threats don`t mean a thing.
I don`t think the US has people in the Pentagon plannig for Iran`s demise through Afghanistan when they could not take care of the Iranians with the better equipped, better organized and oil rich Iraq whose govt. atleast had control over all of the territory while fighting Iran.
There is too much at stake as far as the US is concerned to let Iran loose on Afghanistan.
I predict that nothing is going to happen here.
Rest assured.
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