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Taliban talking about invading Pakistan et al.

Verbal Kint

13:24 / 15.09.01

http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/09/15/afghanistan.robertson.otsc/

I am having a hard time with this. You would think the last thing this country would want to do is start their own war.

Naked Flame

15:24 / 15.09.01

Barking. Absolutely barking. I mean, *yes* reasoned political debate and *yes* negotiation, diplomacy and compromise, but.... barking.

agapanthus

23:04 / 15.09.01

Here's a reasonably good map/summary of the base camps of Bin-Laden in Afghanistan, and the other military groupings:
SMH

It seems that the US, in its support of 'freedom fighters' funded and trained forces that went to form the Taliban, during the Afghan war with USSR. Is it because the US Media are so blind and myopic to facts like this that the people of the US are also ill-informed, therefore unable to voice opposition to their leaders' invocation of a 'holy war'?

Seth

23:19 / 15.09.01

quote:Originally posted by agarchy:
It seems that the US, in its support of 'freedom fighters' funded and trained forces that went to form the Taliban, during the Afghan war with USSR.

[CRAP KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY DISCLAIMER] I heard that Bin Laden himself was trained by the US to participate in the Afghan war with the former Soviet Union. Kind of makes a mockery of their current policy of "not distinguishing between the terrorists and the countries that fund and harbour them." First remove the plank in your own eye.

Someone please verify this. I'm keen to know for sure. [/CRAP KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY DISCLAIMER]

Mourne Kransky

00:08 / 16.09.01

seems to be widely rumoured that the CIA trained and supported bin Laden,
expressionless, but the Head of CIA's Covert Operations in Afghanistan during the Russian war there was interviewed on radio on Wednesday morning and he said no. Said they had got up to all sorts of things to help out the Afghan rsistance but that they had never trained any arabs. No reason not to do so, just hadn't been done. He said bin Laden spent his time in Pakistan as a fund raiser, not a fighter. Must be easier to raise funds when you're supposedly as rich as Croesus.

Incidentally, in his newspaper photos, bin Laden looks very like Dargo from Farscape.
Hmmm...

agapanthus

00:38 / 16.09.01

quote:the CIA trained and supported bin Laden,
expressionless, but the Head of CIA's Covert Operations in Afghanistan during the Russian war there was interviewed on radio on Wednesday morning and he said no.

Zoser,I don't think I'd trust the head of CIA's covert operations in Afghanistan, to be telling
the truth: the first casualty of war.

Saint Keggers

03:43 / 16.09.01

Just saw a documentary on the CBC about the history of the jihad in this century. It said that Bin Laden was trained by the americans during the afghanistan conflict. The west also supported the taliban durning the civil war.

Cherry Bomb

05:13 / 16.09.01

That is true, Kegbboy. And what is so scary about this to me is that I very much feel (as a US citizen) that we are feeling the fruits of the seeds we've sown.

Magic Mutley

11:14 / 16.09.01

quote:Originally posted by Verbal Kint:
You would think the last thing this country would want to do is start their own war.

Against a nuclear state and all...

Naked Flame

13:40 / 16.09.01

Actually, I think that the Taleban is working on the principle that most Pakistani citizens would rather not help the US for one reason or another. Pakistan has always been notorious for its political instability. Perhaps they want to exploit that and expand their influence.

Magic Mutley

13:53 / 16.09.01

Sounds about right. Looks pretty messy though - caught between the Taliban, the US, & their own internal politics.

[ 16-09-2001: Message edited by: Wheaty Goodness ]

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