http://musliminsuffer.wordpress.com/
bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Taliban are winning
(MINNEAPOLIS) STAR TRIBUNE
Britain is atwitter over a row between Prince Harry and his military
unit, which has banned him from combat in Afghanistan. Prince Harry is
said to be furious with the decision and has threatened to quit the
military if it follows through.
Good for Prince Harry; that's the sort of mettle all would-be leaders
(even titular leaders) should demonstrate. We'd like to see him serve in
Afghanistan -- not because of any desire to see the prince come to any
harm, but because with such a famous person in Afghanistan perhaps that
conflict would get the attention and the troops it deserves.
To put it succinctly, the Taliban is winning in Afghanistan, five years
after its leaders were driven from power for harboring and assisting al-
Qaida as it laid plans for the Sept. 11 attacks.
Taliban troops have retaken control of broad swatches of the country and
are beginning to stand and fight NATO units head to head. Violence is at
its highest level since the early days of the conflict. The much-
ballyhooed reconstruction and peace that the U.S. invasion was supposed
to usher in are now distant and empty promises.
The NATO commander for Afghanistan, British Gen. David Richards, over
the weekend asked that additional troops be deployed to the country. He
warned that unless progress is made in bringing peace and stability to
Afghanistan within the next six months, the civilian population might
well shift its allegiance away from NATO and to the Taliban.
Experts on Afghanistan warn, yet again, that the country is approaching
a "tipping point." This time they might be right. It is also a potential
tipping point for NATO: Afghanistan is the place where the postwar
alliance is expected to either prove itself or close up shop.
When the Afghan war started, NATO pledged to help, but few members had
either men or machines up to the fight. Five years on, a force of 32,000
has been cobbled together from a number of nations (the bulk being
British and American), and is now in charge of the entire Afghan
operation under Richards. If the Taliban outshines NATO in combat, it
will likely be time to retire the colors at the NATO headquarters in
Brussels.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration convinced itself the Taliban
would be a pushover. That's the only way it could have rationalized
taking on Saddam Hussein at the same time.
Thus critical units were pulled off the line prematurely in Afghanistan
so they might prepare for deployment to Iraq. Thus too few American
forces were available to close in on Osama bin Laden when he was
cornered in Tora Bora.
So maybe having Prince Harry deploy to Afghanistan would be a good
thing. With such a famous head on the line, perhaps the Bush
administration would be forced to give the Afghanistan mission the
extended focus it is due.
source:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/101106/opinion_20061011019.shtml
===
-muslim voice-
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