Poison Pete2 wrote:
RESPONSE: When you are in a foreign country killing the people who formed a previous government there, they are not terrorists, you are.
The previous Taliban government, I use the term govermnet in the loosest sense of the word, was not legitimate. It was neither elected nor declared sovreign or recognised by traditional Afghan councils, nor endorsed by a large enough or overwhekming majority of Afghans to be justified as the proper government of that country. Indeed, the Taliban never contolled the whole of Afghanistan. It was only recogniased by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and I believe Yemen so it also did not have any international legitimacy.
At one point the Taliban was a welcome force in Afghanistan providing a much needed repreive from the civil war which wracked the country. The Taliban providied stability, security and a measure of the rule of law. However, whatever good will they brought was soon eroded by their cruel, barbarous regime. Their strict adherence to sharia not only denied women their right to be educated but denied even men the freedom to shave their beards, listen to music and other forms of entertainment. I do not think I am exaggerating by saying that the Taliban trampled and disregarded the human rights of all Afghans, but, were particularly brutal and unforgiving towards women.
Perhaps, the Taliban's depravity could have been excused if their own piousness was adhered to more fully, if everyone in Aghanistan was treated equally albeit inhumanely. The Taliban like most tyranical corrupt governments thought themselves somewhat better than those over whom they ruled and so while Afghans were not allowed to have their picture taken the Taliban posed for portraits, watched movies became fat off the meagre resources of that country. They were in short crooks, but, they were the worst kind of thieves preying off the most vulnerable.
Were the taliban terrorsits? Not directly but, there can be no doubt that they provided land to Osama bin Laden for training of al-Qaida. Whether these camps were directly related to September the eleventh I do not know and will not speculate. The faction of Afghan politics which the Taliban derived from can trace its origins to University Town in Peshwar and to a Mujahadeen warlord called Sayyaf and Hekmatyar, who has since met an ignoble end, there philosophy and theology was the overthrow of corrupt "un-islamic" governments ruling over Islamic land and the re-founding of the ancient caliphates. There philosophy also extends so far as to legitimise the use of force against any government which they see as a threat to Islam or is not following the ways of the Qu'ran. What can not be denied however, is that if the Taliban were not terrorsits they were despots who had no problem doling out the harshes punnishments, often death, for the smallest crimes. Justice did not see the light of day while the occupied Afghanistan.
PoisonPete@ wrote:
If you would acceed to putting your fellow citizens in harms way to promote American Hegemony, then it's time to pause for a little reflection
It is true that if Canada and other countries are successful in Afghanistan then America's sphere of influence will broaden in that region, but, so will Canada's. However, it is better than the alternative and the previous reality whereby Afghanistan was a Pakistani sphere of influence. Indeed, there are almost too many linkages to mention between the ISI and the Taliban. Canada and others are in Afghanistan for two reasons One: to provide humanitarian aid and assistance in order to help Afghanis develop their own country. Two: to rout lingering factions of the Taliban and al-Qaida most of whom are on the Pakistani side of the border in any case.
I think you are the one who needs to reflect. Anyone who is so selfish as to deny those in Afghanistan the creature comforts we take for granted everyday in Canada is a small person. How can you say that Afghans don't deserve security of the person, or freedom of speech, or of religion? Why should only the West enjoy the benfits of technology? Why would you have the Afghan people live a medieval exsistence without running water or electricuty, without schools, without allowing their women to be taught how to read or write much less do math? The anawer is you wouldn't yet, that is what you propose when you question the legitimacy of the UN mission inAfghanistan. I well understand that Saudi Arabia, the United States, Pakistan and others share part responsibility for the mess which Afghanistan has become in the last 30 years. Their culpability will be well recorded on the pages of history. I also realise that the US and other countries are not there today for purely noble or selfless reasons but, are also in Afghanistan for realpolitk and geo-political gains. However, sacrafices have to be made and I believe that Afghans support the sacrafices not only we are making but they are making, the tradeoff between complete sovreignty and independence with chaos violence and civil war versus partial sovreignty and a mainly peaceful country. We are in Afghansitan not simply to hunt al-Qaida but to provide aid to those who truly need it.
