Afghanistan

[RationalThought110]

When the Taliban was in control of the government there, the current government was supposed to be against them.  Are they still against the Taliban? 

Their president recently pardoned someone who had been training with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

[Sarah]

They are on superficial grounds however there are probably a lot of ex-taliban followers in the current government who are sympathisers.

[RationalThought110]

They are on superficial grounds however there are probably a lot of ex-taliban followers in the current government who are sympathisers.

What do you mean by superficial grounds?

Why would the ones who were opposed to the Taliban, want any ex followers to be in the current government?  Many Iraqis seem to want few former Baathists to be a part of Iraq's government. 

[Sarah]

Because they are the leaders recognized by many and who have power. The government want them in order to regain control and be able to deal with militants who can compromise with those who understand them. They are a tool.

[RationalThought110]

When the Taliban was in control of the government there, the current government was supposed to be against them.  Are they still against the Taliban? 

Their president recently pardoned someone who had been training with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Hamid Karzai was a former consultant for the California-based energy company Unocal.  At least we know he won't intentionally rig the oil lines...  

Are some oil lines intentionally rigged?

[RationalThought110]

How does poppy cultivation--which turns into opium--fund the Taliban and al-Qaeda?  How are they the ones who access it? 

[RationalThought110]

And what is the "nation-building" that's being done?

[Ultra Requete]

They are on superficial grounds however there are probably a lot of ex-taliban followers in the current government who are sympathisers.

What do you mean by superficial grounds?

Why would the ones who were opposed to the Taliban, want any ex followers to be in the current government?  Many Iraqis seem to want few former Baathists to be a part of Iraq's government. 

Becouse they have authority among Pashtun clans/tribes which are 50% of Afganistan; The Afganistan is much less nation state than even Iraq; and even there the western style political parties are facades for tribes shieks and religius leader/rulers such as immams and mullahs. And BTW Opium trade is less dangereus forwest than oil trade. 

[Sarah]

How does poppy cultivation--which turns into opium--fund the Taliban and al-Qaeda?  How are they the ones who access it? 

I'm not sure about it funding the Taliban directly, because under the Taliban the poppies where banned and those who tried cultivating them, where severly punished. However regular Afghan farmers who do grow them-even though it has to be controlled i think- buy up amunition which is further sold to militants.

[RationalThought110]

How does poppy cultivation--which turns into opium--fund the Taliban and al-Qaeda?  How are they the ones who access it? 

I'm not sure about it funding the Taliban directly, because under the Taliban the poppies where banned and those who tried cultivating them, where severly punished. However regular Afghan farmers who do grow them-even though it has to be controlled i think- buy up amunition which is further sold to militants.

Aren't the militians, people who support the Taliban and al-Qaeda?  Why did the Taliban ban the poppies?

[RationalThought110]

Becouse they have authority among Pashtun clans/tribes which are 50% of Afganistan; The Afganistan is much less nation state than even Iraq; and even there the western style political parties are facades for tribes shieks and religius leader/rulers such as immams and mullahs. And BTW Opium trade is less dangereus forwest than oil trade. 

If Afghanistan is less of a nation state than Iraq, then why is the situation in Iraq worse?

Why does the media make it seem like the Opium trade is more dangerous?

[Sarah]

How does poppy cultivation--which turns into opium--fund the Taliban and al-Qaeda?  How are they the ones who access it? 

I'm not sure about it funding the Taliban directly, because under the Taliban the poppies where banned and those who tried cultivating them, where severly punished. However regular Afghan farmers who do grow them-even though it has to be controlled i think- buy up amunition which is further sold to militants.

Aren't the militians, people who support the Taliban and al-Qaeda?  Why did the Taliban ban the poppies?

Not nessecarily, there are individual militias who all fight for their own agendas and leadership but primarily it is against the troops, so you could say they support the Taliban in that way. However many of these people were pleased to see the Taliban fall.
The Taliban regime consisted of strict sharia law and fundamentalism, drugs of any kind are forbidden by that law. Though there are thousands of addicts who were able to feed their addiction. It was very hypocritical because when the Taliban were down on money and amunition, they used money from the sales of opium to fund their regime.

[RationalThought110]

Not nessecarily, there are individual militias who all fight for their own agendas and leadership but primarily it is against the troops, so you could say they support the Taliban in that way. However many of these people were pleased to see the Taliban fall.
The Taliban regime consisted of strict sharia law and fundamentalism, drugs of any kind are forbidden by that law. Though there are thousands of addicts who were able to feed their addiction. It was very hypocritical because when the Taliban were down on money and amunition, they used money from the sales of opium to fund their regime.

So after the Taliban fell, the militias wanted the US to leave?  Why don't they make a deal that they'll be against the Taliban and al-Qaeda and ensure that they don't get back into power,   if the US agrees to leave? 

[Sarah]

Not nessecarily, there are individual militias who all fight for their own agendas and leadership but primarily it is against the troops, so you could say they support the Taliban in that way. However many of these people were pleased to see the Taliban fall.
The Taliban regime consisted of strict sharia law and fundamentalism, drugs of any kind are forbidden by that law. Though there are thousands of addicts who were able to feed their addiction. It was very hypocritical because when the Taliban were down on money and amunition, they used money from the sales of opium to fund their regime.

So after the Taliban fell, the militias wanted the US to leave?  Why don't they make a deal that they'll be against the Taliban and al-Qaeda and ensure that they don't get back into power,   if the US agrees to leave? 

The militias each want to take control, and this goes against the plan for Afghanistan to have a government. The Taliban was a dictatorship that ceased the uprisal of any political activity or militias by physical force, but once they fell those militias who wanted to take control couldn't and still can't because the U.S is trying to defeat the militants in order to prevent another regime similar to that of the Taliban taking control. The government is inept to withhold any of these militias and will collapse causing even more chaos unless the troops stay. That agreement cannot be made officially because it would defeat the whole purpose of America entering Afghanistan in order to regain control from the hands of fundamentalists. Many -in fact all-people in militias are fundamentalists and use physical force as a means for everything.

[RationalThought110]

The militias each want to take control, and this goes against the plan for Afghanistan to have a government. The Taliban was a dictatorship that ceased the uprisal of any political activity or militias by physical force, but once they fell those militias who wanted to take control couldn't and still can't because the U.S is trying to defeat the militants in order to prevent another regime similar to that of the Taliban taking control. The government is inept to withhold any of these militias and will collapse causing even more chaos unless the troops stay. That agreement cannot be made officially because it would defeat the whole purpose of America entering Afghanistan in order to regain control from the hands of fundamentalists. Many -in fact all-people in militias are fundamentalists and use physical force as a means for everything.

Is the current government actually a militia?

[RationalThought110]

Becouse they have authority among Pashtun clans/tribes which are 50% of Afganistan; The Afganistan is much less nation state than even Iraq; and even there the western style political parties are facades for tribes shieks and religius leader/rulers such as immams and mullahs. And BTW Opium trade is less dangereus forwest than oil trade. 

What are Pashtuns?

[Ultra Requete]

Becouse they have authority among Pashtun clans/tribes which are 50% of Afganistan; The Afganistan is much less nation state than even Iraq; and even there the western style political parties are facades for tribes shieks and religius leader/rulers such as immams and mullahs. And BTW Opium trade is less dangereus forwest than oil trade. 

If Afghanistan is less of a nation state than Iraq, then why is the situation in Iraq worse?

Why does the media make it seem like the Opium trade is more dangerous?

Becouse Its A-rab contry with with civil war and insurgency fuleled by not only Syria or Iran but our "ally" KSA too... Which takes to second part of your question; The oil trade is more dangerous becouse it finance Saudi based Wahhabism, GWB and other dhimmi politicians in the west, in academias etc...; Islamic terror ala Shia Iran and comunist anti US and unti israeli regimes like Venezuela, Bolivia, Russsia etc....
Take out oil by seizing oil fields or developing alternative energy source (combustion engine has 100 yeras) and the Islam will revert to stone age; The Arabs have no ather skills beside yellin' Jihad, raping and beheding infidels all merchants and inteligenztia in Arab countries were christians or jews they're largly gone now so without oil money not only arab muslims are finished; their nazi/leftist stooges in Europe and Amerika too.

[RationalThought110]

A couple days before 9/11, the Taliban or al-Qaeda had the former leader of the Northern Alliance assassinated. 

Is it true that most of Afghanistan supported Massoud and were angry after he was assassinated?  But if a lot of Afghanistan consists of militias, how would he have been able to have been their president?

[Ultra Requete]

Becouse like I said before he had loyalty of all field commnders/warlords/tribe chiefs but mainly from Tadjik and Uzbek Northern Alience; and it's not PC thing to call your self king od Shah today There's no such thing like Afgans - its political fiction like Bulestinians or Iraqis; they're 50% percent of Irani Pahtun tribes who ruled other Afganistan from XVIII century and the rest are mainly Uzbeks and Tadjiks tribes living in north. You shuld consult the Wikipedia for deatails about Afganistan demography, geography and history; it rarely lieing at facts; but almost always at their interpretations .   

[newman]

Becouse they have authority among Pashtun clans/tribes which are 50% of Afganistan; The Afganistan is much less nation state than even Iraq; and even there the western style political parties are facades for tribes shieks and religius leader/rulers such as immams and mullahs. And BTW Opium trade is less dangereus forwest than oil trade. 

If Afghanistan is less of a nation state than Iraq, then why is the situation in Iraq worse?

Why does the media make it seem like the Opium trade is more dangerous?

Becouse Its A-rab contry with with civil war and insurgency fuleled by not only Syria or Iran but our "ally" KSA too... Which takes to second part of your question; The oil trade is more dangerous becouse it finance Saudi based Wahhabism, GWB and other dhimmi politicians in the west, in academias etc...; Islamic terror ala Shia Iran and comunist anti US and unti israeli regimes like Venezuela, Bolivia, Russsia etc....
Take out oil by seizing oil fields or developing alternative energy source (combustion engine has 100 yeras) and the Islam will revert to stone age; The Arabs have no ather skills beside yellin' Jihad, raping and beheding infidels all merchants and inteligenztia in Arab countries were christians or jews they're largly gone now so without oil money not only arab muslims are finished; their nazi/leftist stooges in Europe and Amerika too.

Good points, UR.

Drugs only affect a few mentally defective losers. We can deal with the demand aspect of the drug problem by allowing drug users to die or by locking them up under zero-tollerence law enforcement.

Oil on the other hand makes slaves of all of us while funding islam's war against us. You're right about the arabs, too. They (like the black africans) are completely incapable of moving beyond the stoneage.

[RationalThought110]

Hamid Karzai was a former consultant for the California-based energy company Unocal.  At least we know he won't intentionally rig the oil lines...  

What are you referencing about rigging oil lines?

[RationalThought110]

I heard on the news that millions of tax dollars are being spent in "re-building" Afghanistan but very little of anything is getting accomplished.