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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Keith Monahan who wrote (8081)	10/29/2001 2:07:31 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

This simplistic generalization demonstrates you know very little about Afghanistan specifically, or the region in general No, it demonstrates that I recognize that certain tribal impulses override others in that part of the world. The Pushtoons will fight each other, switch sides, betray each other on a regular basis -- but they will unite against the foreigner. If the fight is set up as Pustoons vs Northern Alliance + Americans + Russians, as seems likely, they will stick with the Taliban no matter if they hate them, unless it is clear that the Taliban is likely to lose. Also, please demonstrate your own great expertise before you go around calling others simpletons.

To: Keith Monahan who wrote (8081)	10/29/2001 3:30:23 PM
From: Brian Sullivan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Most Afghans are Pushtoons and the Taliban are Pushtoons. They will stick to them like glue until it is absolutely clear that they are losers, which is far from clear at the moment. >> This simplistic generalization demonstrates you know very little about Afghanistan specifically, or the region in general. I think that Nadine is quite correct. I was listening to NPR this morning and they were interviewing several Afghani immigrants that lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. And among the people that they interviewed most expressed support for the Taliban. Some had said that they supported the Taliban before September 11th, but had second thoughts after September 11th. There were even woman that expressed praise for the Taliban. Most of the support seem to be that the alternatives were worse. I would surmise that the reason that alternatives are worse is because of the hatred between the various ethnic clans. Thus for Pushtoons it is better to praise a Pushtoon leader that suffer at the hand of an alternative ethnic leader.