After the Soviets stepped out, so did the US.. So someone has to step and take the blame for having created the Taliban, and that rests squarely upon the shoulders of the ISI, IMO.
Hi hawk, let’s take it little further and examine the facts on the ground in a historical perspective that is modestly broad. I hope we may reach to some mutual settlement of this long argument, blaming others for our own faults is the easiest thing and we all can be specialists in that, I will try my best to let you have a window through my mind as to how I see these things in my land, may be you will overlook the shortcomings that I may have as a result of certain gaps in my knowledge that I hope you and others will help me fill, the purpose here is to see how to move forward..
Imagine putting dangerous weapons in the hands of the freest of the people who cherish their freedom and ideology, who ever did it, thought of 'green turbans and black standards' easier to handle than the Bolsheviks reds.
Once Soviets are Russians and they end up with 250 billon $’s of reserves and a Putin kind of friendly democracy everyone has forgotten about the ‘evil empire’ that Reagan was after and he utilised every tool to break it.
ISI was one such tool they were helped to grow into a evil if that is meant to be a satisfactory description by no one else but big $’s and diplomatic support.
William Casey trip is eye opener and one example where he surprised the Pakistanis with idea of taking the war beyond Oxus. The brutality of proxy wars that the region had to suffer remains an untold tale.
Soviets brought havoc to nation and unlike Vietnam where Buddhist (Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant) influence helped heal the wounds and scars of war, in Afghanistan the combination of Pakhtoon wild valour with Wahabi ideology and oil wealth created a new warrior race of terrorists.
The cold war was won at a price, once won everyone departed leaving a huge vacuum behind, I think that fault lies across the board on the instant gratification modules of diplomacy and strategy based on use and dump. That cmae to haunt the west!
Pakistan alone is a product of 1947, it is not the evil reincarnated neither it is required to find a 'new enemy of mankind' and eliminate it it was bequeathed with the areas where war is part of life for centuries, where great game between the Raj and Czars were played, it only happened that this 'nascent state' had the ability to exploit this 'war' to its maximum benefit, with or without Pakistan, I can assure that even in a united India 'North West frontier Province' of a United India would have faced similar issues, it would have been much talked about and heard about.
India lost its freedom and its independence to invaders from the north in the last thousand years most of them coming from passes that divide Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Ghaurs, the Ghazans and the Mumluks or last but not least Mughals all descended and ruled north of India with vengeance that every one knows, it is this north we are trying to integrate in the world, the world has to help.
It is our human heritage, it is sum total of follies of ideological obstructionism of Pakhtoons, the follies of Czars and politburo, the machination of the Raj and ISI and money and technology of US .. in this ‘hammam’ everyone is naked..
I strongly believe that a bombed out destroyed north of Indian sub continent i.e. region called Pakistan since 1947 would be the real nightmare for the whole region, post Iraq one lesson is clear that the reformation and enlightenment will come but it has come through the soft hands of people like Napoleon and Cromwell and Grant, the age of revolutions and liberation which we all have witnessed in the west is dawning in the east the tragedy is that we are seeing it happening live in front of us, we are seeing events in seconds and can recollect every detail, the previous reincarnation and reformation of societies, the civil wars and revolutions were not showing the bloodshed and re-education in real time, imagine landings at Normandy to destroy fascism being broadcast alive or beheading of Louis by guillotine being televised world wide, these regions are forgotten regions, they are coming into the world now.
I think no body can be blamed other than our own short termism that we think that entrenched historical and ideological attitudes will change overnight. We need a lot more time and effort until we see a day where we can have such an exchange.
It is all about learning through lot of bloodshed and destruction unfortunately it has been so even in the most enlightened societies, why not the backward societies can make their mistakes and deceits, to hell with these ISI’s and other intelligence agencies we are facing in our part of the world a new ear dawning, in Yemen to have free elections was un heard off, although no one gives credit to overthrow of Saddam but this is the change we are seeing, my ability to write and be free in my own country is one other such luxury.
Why should we hold others to standards that even west could not adhere too whilst west was in a growing process, the following was not in distant past, only 146 years ago that your nation went through a horrible war and this war was brought about to emancipate man.Destruction and war has been the only mean of education for a very stubborn human race, they don't seem to understand from past horrors of wars.
Correspondence between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee
Discussing Surrender Terms at Appomattox
These reports were extracted from a Report of Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, U. S. Army, commanding Armies of the United States, The Richmond (Virginia) Campaign.
APRIL 9, 1865
General R. E. LEE:
GENERAL: Your note of yesterday is received. I have no authority to treat on the subject of peace; the meeting proposed for 10 a.m. to-day could lead to no good. I will state, however, general, that I am equally anxious for peace with yourself, and the whole North entertains the same feeling. The terms upon which peace can be had are well understood. By the South laying down their arms they will hasten that most desirable event, save thousands of human lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet destroyed. Seriously hoping that all our difficulties may be set-tied without the loss of another life, I subscribe myself, &c.,
U.S. GRANT,
Lieutenant-General.
APPOMATTOX COURT-HOUSE, VA.
April 9, 1865
General R. E. LEE:
GENERAL: In accordance with the substance of my letter to you of the 8th instant, I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia on the following terms, to wit: Rolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate, one copy to be given to an officer to be designated by me, the other to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged; and each company or regimental commander sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms, artillery, and public property to be parked and stacked, and turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to his home, not to be disturbed by U. S. authority so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they may reside.
U.S. GRANT,
Lieutenant-General.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
April 9, 1865
Lieut. Gen. U. S. GRANT:
GENERAL: I have received your letter of this date containing the terms of surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia as proposed by you. As they are substantially the same as those expressed in your letter of the 8th instant, they are accepted. I will proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipulations into effect.
R. E. LEE,
General.
Source: Official Records of the War of the Rebellion
|
