<html> Russia to join the attack against Afghanistan? At 03/10/01 21:55 -0700, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite cite>[The Independent] The high price we must pay for Russia's help 04 October 2001 Putin calls on Nato to make space for Russia President Vladimir Putin of Russia has stunned everyone with the extent of his support for the coalition against the Taliban. Anyone who remembers the Kremlin's tantrums over Nato's air war in Kosovo will wonder whether we are dealing with the same country.</blockquote> [but, surprisingly, the West was ostensibly supporting an oppressed islamic people then...] I agree this scenario is extremely alarming. The nightmare could be even worse: Russia to join the attack against Afghanistan! That really would be a crusade of Christendom against islam! And despite the fact that Afghanistan has defeated all imperialist invasions, it could still be too tempting to consider that it would succumb to a simultaneous invasion of three imperialist powers. Evidence?? Last night London time, my suspicions were aroused by the fact that a latest news item on the Guardian site on Blair's secret trip, had been pulled. Perhaps the explanation is innocent, but why had they not got a replacement ready as would be normal in a ongoing electronic news site these days. The Telegraph was carrying a report of a probable war scenario of the Northern Alliance attacking down to Kabul, and Britain and the US attacking up from Herat. Further evidence: Joanna yesterday forwarded a self-interestedly hopeful analysis by Israeli military intelligence: <blockquote type=cite cite>On Sunday, September 23, Bush telephoned Russian president Vladimir Putin and spoke to him for 70 minutes. The moment both men hung up, the world we live in had changed and the strategic situation in all its regions, including the Middle East, had shifted radically. The United States and Russia, two old foes who faced off against each other for half a century, became allies in a move that will influence history for the next 25 years. Both predominantly Christian countries joined in a military, economic and political alliance to defeat Muslim international terror. In one telephone call, Bush restored Moscow to the position of power it enjoyed between the 1950s and 1980s.</blockquote> So what is Blair going to do on his semi-secret trip? Blair is proud to think the unthinkable. Blair with the support of Alistair Campbell was perhaps the key figure in the Kosovo war bolstering the alliance of 19 countries. He is more than capable of having not just a logistic alliance with Russia on his agenda list for talks with Putin, but a military alliance for a coordinated attack. Note that the very first foreign leader to send a message of support to Bush was in fact Putin. Bear in mind that the USA and the British government are worried that the supportive countries like Uzbekistan and Oman have now expressed fears that they could be the target of terrorist attacks. What assurance will they get? Why not an assurance that they are part of a plan that *will not fail* - Northern Alliance and Russian troops to occupy Kabul within 48 hours. Air supremacy stops all artillery counterattcks (which drove NA out of Kabul before). Occupation of major south West Afghan city by US and British troops with figurehead capable of liaising with Tajik leader in Kabul. Plus 48 hour ultimatum to Taliban headquarters in Kandahar to surrender, followed by "surgical precision" destruction of all buildings larger than a small house.  So why could that not be on Blair's options paper. Note that Rumsfeld has been sent off to do the spadework with countries like Oman and Uzbekistan, while the possibly decisive trip in the next two days is being made by the leader of the UK: he is taking the lead in clinching the main allies. Alistair Campbell will be flying with Blair not Rumsfeld. (We will never know this because there is interestingly no reporting of the movements of Alistair Campbell although he was key in the Kosovo war - another reason why I feel 99% sure of my prediction - but if any of you have friends in the media and can get the story leaked out this would be revealing and might just help turn the tide. Certainly we know Putin greatly admires UK news management.) What else? UK sources have been tight lipped about whether Blair is going on to Pakistan. I can't work out whether that is a distraction to allow vagueness about the length of his trip. We know that the day before he had a long telephone with Vajpayee. Only reported content to signal some sympathy about terrorists in Kashmir (NB almost certainly mean *unreported* script, you must must must come to some settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir. We will treat you with public respect as a nuclear power now, promise, but the world is too dangerous to leave disaffected muslims plotting and stewing.) Will Blair fly on to have a joint meeting with Musharaff and Vajpayee? entirely within his frame of reference! Thinking of the longer term, which he never omits, binding Russia into the global coalition, would suit his personal ambitions well, which have stepped well outside the boundaries of the UK. He will not be unsympathetic to the Chechens but will be arguing that their problem has to be solved in a wider scenario. Evidence: his wholly gratuitous signal in the middle of the crisis, that he might push British entry into the Euro. Note also timing: he has the weakened British Conservatives eating out of his hand, also drastically cutting the length of their forthcoming conference, (which will probably just happen to coincide with the attacks on Afghanistan) and the military background new leader pledging impeccable loyalty, while being set up to be totally undermined on the Euro in 18 months time, on the grounds of the tranformed global landscape. All this is by no means impossible. Blair has declared the conceptual kaleidoscope is moving rapidly, and he has the brains to encompass all possibilities.  A combined military attack by Russia, Britain and the USA on Afghanistan within days would indeed be Empire Incarnate! It would also be the last crusade of Christendom against Islam, which would change the world forever,  including if it fails. Let us hope that progressive people and the media can head this scenario off before it is a done deal. Please forward and amplify all news reports that warn of this danger we may at least be able to head off the worst of the scenarios. Chris Burford London </html>