Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (62896)	12/23/2002 1:41:57 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

The Afghanistan problem is not over according to recent articles; the government remains unstable. It depends on the definition of "over"... From the macro geo-political level, it is.. The Taliban have been overthrown. And they have not shown any ability to maintain a political or physical presence in Afghanistan. Sure, they can launch a few car bomb and sporadic rocket attacks. They might manage to assassinate a few political leaders, but there is no threat to their returning to power in Afghanistan... Nor is it likely that existing Afghani powers would permit that.. I have repeatedly stated that I don't want war. Just as you repeatedly fail to provide an alternative to direct military threat as a tool of foreign policy.. Karen... I don't want us to go to war either... I would be VERY HAPPY to just see Saddam be overthrown internally without an American soldier being required to risk their lives or fire a shot... But that isn't going to happen by just "wishing for peace".. You have to have a realistic and viable path for achieving you goals against an intransigent, violent, and brutally evil personage like Saddam... I really suggest you watch "Gangs of New York" and think of Saddam as a "Bill the Butcher".. Because that's almost exactly the same path Saddam took to power. And while you're watching the movie, keep asking yourself exactly what counter-strategy you would use to counter 'ol Bill... IMO your conquer the Arabian world by wiping them off the planet MO isn't going to work. It's not about conquest Karen.. It's about stability and attempting to create modernization and political progress in the region through regime change.. And failing that, at least setting the various internal factions against one another to the point that they are not able to directly threaten their neighbors, or the United States... It only makes sense to place Syria on the list since they are ALSO a Baathist regime, have incited political turmoil in Lebanon (currently occupying that country with 30,000 troops. And it is a nation where Hafez Al-Assad and his minority Alawite clan, murdered 20,000 Sunnis and paved their town over in 1982.. (granted they were Sunni militants..) In some ways, the Assads have been even more brutal than Saddam. But after Saddam falls, they will be isolated and it will be in their vested interest to moderate their policies and, hopefully, finally make peace with Israel. Hawk