> >[C]ivilian casualty _is_ the
>> main reason to criticize the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan; we
>> criticize them for having killed so many civilians and destroyed the
>> Afghan countryside, not for having fought the CIA-backed mujahideen
>> at all (in my opinion, the Soviets should have simply given Afghan
>> socialists weapons, rather than directly waging war on mujahideen).
>> I'm sure you don't like this asymmetry, but those who oppose US
>> imperialism are not doing so out of what you might call
>> bleeding-heart sentiments.
>
>But Parenti never made this distinction, and neither did the pro-Soviet
>left, to my memory. "Wipe 'em out!" was all I heard back then; but if you
>have contrary evidence, I'm sure the list would be happy to read it.
I'm mainly speaking my own mind in the passage you cited above. I wasn't in the States back then, so my question about how various US leftists responded to the Afghan question was a genuine one -- a subject that has sunk into an embarrassed silence, but worth rescuing from the memory hole. No doubt there was uncritical support for the Red Army (just as there was uncritical support for "freedom fighters" in the opposite ideological camp, and probably silence and paralysis among those who stood in the middle). My own view is that there is no way you can fight a clean counter-insurgency war against an enemy who has significant support among people, whatever your war aim is, even if your war aim is a laudable one; those who supported the Red Army should have understood what they were supporting, but few (leftists, liberals, or rightists) can bring themselves to acknowledge that the war they support causes devastating damages. I'm pretty certain, at the same time, that there would not have been a long war with gigantic casualties but for the US intervention through the proxies. The US government succeeded in their aim: to give the Soviets "their Vietnam."
> > As for the feasibility of policing Al Qaeda and other terrorists, the
>> alleged AQ members that the US government _has_ arrested have been
>> mainly caught in Pakistan (where the highest ranking member Abu
>> Zubaydah was arrested), Buffalo, NY, etc. -- in 95 countries, as of
>> May 27, 2002: "Since last fall, 1,600 suspected operatives of
>> al-Qaeda have been arrested in 95 countries" (@
>> <http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/05/27/time.alqaeda/>). Just how
>> many AQ members have been caught by US or NA or other forces in
>> Afghanistan?
>
>The members of Al-Q who weren't killed, fled to Pakistan, which makes sense,
>given that it was their main sponsor.
Wasn't Pakistan the main sponsor of the Taliban, not AQ? Anyhow, between 9.11 and the first bombing, about one month passed, no doubt giving enough time for any AQ members to bail out, leaving the Taliban soldiers holding the bag.
>Now, however, it's All Saddam, All The Time.
Check this out: "Loyalty of Iraq's Elite in Doubt," <http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,795583,00.html>:
***** Loyalty of Iraq's elite in doubt
Republican guard units kept out of Baghdad: Loyalty of Saddam's elite troops in doubt
Brian Whitaker Friday September 20, 2002 The Guardian
Elite forces from Iraq's Republican Guard may not be called upon to protect Saddam Hussein in the event of an American attack - for fear that they might turn against him.
The Iraqi leader is determined to keep his crack troops out of Baghdad where their tanks and heavy weaponry could be used to overthrow the regime rather than defend it, the Guardian has learned.
This is because President Saddam cannot be sure of the Guard's loyalties, according to a non-Iraqi source with well-placed contacts in Baghdad. "It's touch and go who they fight for," said the source, who asked not to be identified.
"The officer corps in the Republican Guard are highly trained and motivated, but they hate Saddam Hussein. They also hate the United States. They have a political mind of their own and there's no way Saddam will let them come with their armour into the centre of town."... ***** -- Yoshie
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