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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jeff Jordan who wrote (41173)	10/22/2001 6:39:31 PM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50167

<Pakistan helped put the current taliban government in place pushing back Masoud a real hero in my eyes, who bin laden assasinated > Masood the lion of Panjsheer, fought his entire battle from Pakistan. The problem with Afghan factions was that they were not able to re-concile their differences after USSR left. The militants who were bed-fellows for 10 years in 'common Jihad' started a Jihad with each other, Glubadin Hikmatyar and Massod fall apart, Gulbadin was a Pukhtoon and Masood was a Tajik, now Pushtuns refuse to accept the ethnic tajiks and the minor minorities of shia Tajiks, Uzbeks refuse sunni Pukhtoon, so here we find a religious divide and a ethnic divide. Taleben in the civil war that erupted between Hikmatyar, Masood and Dostum became the peace brokers in Kandhar, through their ruthless methods they brought peace in Kandhar region that is how they became a bigger force, on the other hand they were prompted by Saudis as a counter balance against Iran. US thought of them as a force that could open the route of some of the CAR oil and gas to warm water ports of Baluchistan, US wanted an alternate route of CAR oil away from Russian land on to black sea terminals. Afghanistan under Taliban around Kandhar area was found suitable for protecting the assets and pipelines leading to Baluchistan. Pakistan saw in them a force that could provide them with 'strategic depth' Vis a Vis India. Pakistan 70% economy lies on the eastern bank of river Indus, the main GT road at some place passes less than 10 KM from Indian-Pakistan, to provide some depth to the country is a strategic academic night mare for Pakistani strategists. In search of some kind of depth, now as their war courses and books will tell them a friendly Afghanistan even a repressive and medieval one gives them some kind of insulation form Indian attack. It was a kind of mutually dependent relationship, Pakistan exploited them and they exploited the cardinal weakness of our mentality our dispute with India, yesterday friends like Hikmatyar and Masood lost Kabul and old allies became enemies, if Masood-Hikmatyar-Mujadadi and others would have shown compassion, magnanimity and understanding towards each other they would have not lost Afghanistan to these medieval perverts. Masood was the Defence Minister in the Mujadadi government and Hikmatyar the Prime Minister but sadly enough they listen to no one and finally were flushed out of Kabul with the help of Pakistan, who thought that emerging government in Kabul to be to friendly to India, it was not a ideological bearing rather a strategic alliance to save their own neck. The story of Afghanistan after USSR departure is story of deceit and treachery amongst these strong warlords; they despoiled and wrecked havoc on any sign of governance with their infighting. Governance as you know need yielding in Florida until Gore yielded after Supreme Court decision Bush could not be elected, now coming to ridiculous of Islamic groups, once they have no enemy left they kill each other with equal hate, look at sectarian violence and Iran- Saudi divide on matter that is 1400 years old deep schism in the Islamic history a fight between family if prophet and the emirs of Mecca. Now nations with culture and history have hatreds that are equally ingrained in history, they become a victim of pulverizing force of history. History is great if you learn your lessons form it, if you don’t history is force that grinds very fine. Masood was victim of overextension and so will be Omar, if you are unable to reconcile you are decimated, Talibans, present array of Islamic fundamentalists have this one negative self destruct mechanism going at full throttle that is inability to reason and inability to reach a binding agreement, they will suffer a fate that is normal for people who cannot agree and reach a consensus. <Pakistan wants a role in the determination of a new afghanistan?> Pakistan wants anything but an unfriendly government in their backyard, the US has been kind to look at it for its own interests also. The period of Islamic extremist forces in Afghanistan is over. <is it the Pushtains? in lower Pakistan...appear to be a problem...(mostly the tribe of the taliban?)> The Pushtuns are one of the foremost ethnic groups that comprise Pakistan. They are in North and King Zahir Shah belongs to that group which has majority in Afghanistan. A Pashtun is not necessarily an extremist Islamists or AlQaeda member. All Talibans are from Afghani Pashtun tribes there are Pakistani {Pashtun too, so far the cultural differences and relative affluence and freedom on Pakistani side has stopped the Pashtun from Afghanistan to force their system in north. There is very strong resentment too as far as I know due to repressive measures of Taliban against women, most of the women in Pakistan are rural based they work with their husband In the field like taking food, with kind of shuttle cock that a women in Afghanistan is made forcibly to wear, the field work of women is hindered, it is for this that Taliban could not make much of inroad as lip service to Islam is one thing but adopting it needs real nuts, we were still little better and had not gone over board luckily as providence will hold for us, we could have if talibanisation would continue.