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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (34201)	10/18/2001 8:05:36 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

I do not think that was a thing within their power. Taliban forces outnumber Al-Qaida in Afghanistan about 10 to one. Also if necessary they could have asked us for air support... (although I don't think they would want to do this) Al-Qaida's people are mostly from outside of Afghanistan with no local support to fall back on and few local supporters (besides the Taliban) that could provide them protection or a hiding place. Tim

To: epicure who wrote (34201)	10/18/2001 9:17:33 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

I think if the Taliban could turn over Bin Laden (and save their faces, and their asses) they would. Not if they are in essentially complete agreement with him. I do not think that was a thing within their power. If they said they would, I would expect them not to be able to deliver it. Oh. Well I know of a useful and powerful ally for them: the US. We would make quite a team, don't you think? I do not consider the military strategy reasonable. Great. Let's just give Osama the Medal of Honor and grant him citizenship and be done with it. You seem absolutely determined to avoid any course of action that is actually feasible and would actually accomplisgh something. Your attitude seems to be that we caused it and now we should just cry and lick our wounds. As a US General said during WWII: "NUTS!"

To: epicure who wrote (34201)	10/18/2001 9:51:47 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

I think if the Taliban could turn over Bin Laden (and save their faces, and their asses) they would. I do not think that was a thing within their power. "We laughed when we heard the Americans asking Mullah Omar to hand over Osama bin Laden," he said. "The Americans are crazy. It is Osama bin Laden who can hand over Mullah Omar - not the other way round." Message 16521891 Maybe you're right. Maybe they can't. But that doesn't change anything that we need to do. The Arabs, according to Mr Hassani, have taken de facto control of his country. "All the important places of Kandahar are now under Arab control - the airport, the military courts, the tank command." Twice he attended Taliban training camps and on both occasions they were run by Arabs as well as Pakistanis. "The first one I went to lasted 10 days in the Yellow Desert in Helmand province, a place where the Saudi princes used to hunt, so it has its own airport. It was incredibly well guarded and there were many Pakistanis there, both students from religious schools and military instructors. The Taliban is full of Pakistanis." So, OK, maybe this isn't entirely the Afghanis fault. ANd maybe they are also. So if you know of a bullet or a missile that will kill only Arabs and Pakistanis, you must tell DOD. Otherwise we have to continue our present course. He was told that if he died while fighting under the white flag of the Taliban, he and his family would go to paradise. The soldiers were given blank marriage certificates signed by a mullah and were encouraged to "take wives" during battle, basically a licence to rape. And this is neat. During battle, you find a women you want to rape. You force her to give you her name. You fill it in on the marruage certificate. You rape her. All is copesthetic with Allah because your married, right? After you're done you say "I divorce you. I divorce you. I divorce you." Repeat as needed.