On Sun, 18 Nov 2001, Max Sawicky wrote:
> There are enough stupid remarks in the first two graphs of this to
> permit immediate deletion."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
THE TALIBAN RETREATS
By Jack A. Smith
"Progressive people will rejoice at the withdrawal from the Afghanistan capital of the ultra-right-wing Taliban regime, which has been oppressing the people of that country since it grabbed power following the Washington-engineered defeat of the left-wing government almost a decade ago.
But there can be no rejoicing about the Bush administration’s unjust aggression against Afghanistan’s independence and national sovereignty, which now may spread to other countries under the guise of a “war on terrorism.” Nor can there be satisfaction because the backward Taliban"
mbs: looks stupid to me. if we should rejoice as in graph 1, we should have the sense to comprehend that this was brought about by Bush's "unjust aggression," as indeed the author does later. Moreover, there is no 'guise' of a war on terrorism; stopping terrorism is an undeniable aim of the policy, if not the only one.
" . . . clique may be replaced by another coterie of reactionaries--either the brutal Northern Alliance (which slaughtered many thousands the last time it occupied Kabul) or more probably an uneasy, short-lived right-wing coalition, fabricated by Washington and stamped with the UN’s imprimatur.
The war, of course, may be far from over. The Taliban -- carpet-bombed by an array of sophisticated U.S. weaponry into a tactical retreat to
mbs: There was no carpet-bombing. There was throw-rug bombing.
" . . . the more hospitable Pashtun-populated portion of southern Afghanistan -- intends to resume the fight. At the moment, there’s no telling how this will end. The Northern Alliance, which for years could not advance
mbs: it's obvious how 'this will end.' The Taliban are through, and al qaida is seriously weakened, at the very least. Of course, Time is without end, so in that sense there is no telling about Time. I think I heard that in a rock song.
" . . . one mile against the Taliban until the Pentagon’s bombing campaign, will undoubtedly seek its long-time objective of political power over the entire country, which the Russian government appears to favor. This
mbs: even I know the N.A. is more complicated than that.
"alliance, however, understands that a grab for total power at this stage would provoke the White House to retaliate, perhaps terminally. The
mbs: the U.S. would attack & destroy the Northern Alliance? Come on. Life is too short to justify further reading.