>I remember this thread coming up before, but I can't remember what people
>said. Does anyone have insight to offer on RAWA (Revolutionary Association
>of the Women of Afghanistan), which appears to have become the group of
>choice for U.S. leftists to support in Afghanistan? I'm curious about their
>history, political orientation, size, etc.
Some people say they have a Maoist core. Tariq Ali told me they're a mix of ideologies; as Afg has gone through successive crises over the last 20 years, RAWA accumulated layer after layer of new recruits. He said he met some young RAWA women, aged 20 or a little over, who claimed affiliation with a Maoist sect that had disappeared about the time they were born. They said their fathers belonged, so they felt they did too.
Doug