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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated

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To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (56581)7/28/2004 1:01:22 AM
From: KyrosL  Read Replies (2) of 793970
 
Nadine, I believe that AQ and Osama bin Laden is largely our own creation:

1. We failed to respond decisively to the energy crises of the seventies via conservation, alternative fuels, heavy energy taxes, and nuclear power, thus freeing ourselves from dependence on Middle East oil, and the necessity to prop up and cozy up to regimes like Saudi Arabia. OBL's main objection was the presence of US troops in SA.

2. In retrospect, our active support of the Mujahedin in Afghanistan (via the Pakistani ISI) against the Soviet supported regime was a strategic blunder. This was what created Al Queda and OBL and it's debatable whether it helped the Afghani people.

I also think that the war in Iraq strengthened AQ and weakened America and may prove to be a bigger strategic blunder than our support of the Mujahedin in Afghanistan. Finishing the job in Afghanistan and getting OBL was far more important, IMO. We are now left with two unfinished jobs and no resources to finish either. I am afraid that there is a non-trivial probability that Iraq will evolve into Afghanistan II in terms of Al Queda support.
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