So help me understand - why did the US invade the desolate mountains of Afganistan?
Because the Taliban government had provided direct aid and shelter to Al Qai'da. To get to the training camps and infratructure of Al Qai'da, we had to bring down the Taliban government.
But also remember that the "invasion" was really a SpecOps/CIA show, which focused on uniting the various groups of warlords against the Taliban. It was not ANYTHING like what we did in Iraq. And the reason for that is because Pakistan REFUSED to permit US troops to be stationed in their country for the purpose of invading Afganistan in force and overflights by our fighters were limited to a very strict corridor, as I recall. I believe this is still the case, and it limits the number of forces we can actually logistically support in the country since most of their equipment/supplies have to be airlifted in. Thus, we're limited in what we can do in Afghanistan. We can only attempt to assist the local government to remain stable, and continue the integration/unification of the various tribes/ethnicities in that country (more on this in a moment).
IMO, our mission/obligation is to fight Al Qai'da in any location where they are trying to reconstitute their operations, and Iraq has definitely been one of those places. I would love to go after UBL and Zawahiri. But I'm not willing to go to war with Pakistan to achieve that, just as most Americans were unwilling to go to war with Argentina and Brazil to find the last Nazis who fed there after WWII.
Longer term, India is negotiationg with Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan for an oil/gas pipeline from Iran to India.
Yes.. and this is the financial interest that has been long the interest with regard to Afghanistan. Unocal was trying to negotiate with the Taliban prior to 9/11 to build this pipeline. And it would stand to provide the economically destitute Afghanis with jobs and annual revenue. But it's not going to happen as long as the Pakis and Indians are not willing to work together to assist Afghanistan's borders to remain secure.
India's interests obviously relate to Kashmir, and it's a useful rallying cry with the Mujahidin in Pakistan. An unstable Pakistan consumed by religious civil war (which ultimately may prove unavoidable), would force India to get involved in some form, IMO. A very ugly scenario to contemplate.
I've often found it interesting that people are so willing to sub-divide Iraq along ethnic and religious lines (Sunnis, Shi'a, and Kurds), but somehow believe that Afghanistan should be kept unified. Because BOTH countries face the same problems with regard to sectarian violence. They are tribal societies, possessing fierce pride and the belief that they are entitled to rule over their rivals in the region, hence the seemingly unending history of conflict associated with Afghanistan.
So I'm curious as to when the same pundits are going to present their proposals to erase the nation/state of Afghanistan from the UN membership roster, as many are proposing to do with Iraq.
Hawk |
