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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group
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To: Sun Tzu who wrote (166416)7/18/2005 12:55:04 PM
From: one_less  Read Replies (1) of 281500
 
"In other words, you were content to see them go back to killing each other so long as they did not affect us."

Not at all. American conscience was firmly against nation building.

But this is an argument for self-interest and not noble humanity you spoke of earlier.

Helping to liberate Afghanistan and leave it to self determination seemed like a good idea to ALL free nations at the time.

'My question was why did we not help them to organize as a unified front at the table with Russians?'

I don't really know. I speculate that at the time they did not have a unified representation and the warriors were not in a mood to negotiate with ruskies. The Saudis and Pakistanis were thought to have a more stable and objective representation that could, along with us, negotiate for the best interests of the Afghanis... which I believe we did.

'And why did we not give them aid, hospitals, and schools, conditioned on forming a somewhat tolerant civil front?'

That might have been a good idea, looking back. However, that is exactly what the Taliban did and it is now seen as an incideous and corrupt attempt at Empire building. I suspect that is why there was no support (From Americans) for that level and approach to intervention.

I do remember some of my Afgan friends were complaining that America was not helping them to build a democracy (prior to the build up of the Taliban). And they predicted some totalitarian take over. I don't think anyone predicted the course that such a take over would eventually take.
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