A clue to why Masood vented his frustration on the World Trade Center....
csmonitor.com
Excerpt:
Russian, US influence
Former enemy Russia, united with border states Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in its fear of a virulent brand of Islam sweeping north, is now supplying Masood's forces with weapons, ammunition, and jeeps. This spring, Moscow threatened to bomb the Taliban in retaliation for its alleged support of Chechen rebels in southern Russia, and in late May the Taliban accused Uzbekistan of sending fighter jets over Afghan airspace, a charge denied by the the Uzbek foreign ministry.
At a summit in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, earlier this month, the presidents of Russia, China, and three Central Asian states pledged to cooperate in combating Islamic separatist movements and agreed to set up a joint anti-terrorist center in the region.
Moscow and Washington are also expected to hold meetings in the coming weeks on how to counter terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan.
Still, Masood and his supporters don't hide their disappointment with the diminished role of the US, which during the cold war channeled $3 billion in aid to the Afghan rebels via Pakistan.
"When we were fighting the Russians, it was to the Americans' advantage to help us. But when the Soviets were destroyed, they forgot about us. Now they're only talking about Osama bin Laden," says Masood. More important, Masood says, the US should use its leverage over Pakistan to stop the flow of fighters and arms to the Taliban.
____________________ |
