Defense Dept vs the State Department

[Wayne Johnson]

Uh, Michael, it is my understanding that many are NOT native Afghans.
Perhaps I am misinformed.

Wayne

-----Original Message-----
From: austin-ghetto-list-admin@pairlist.net
[mailto:austin-ghetto-list-admin@pairlist.net]On Behalf Of Michael
Eisenstadt
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 8:48 PM
To: Connie Clark
Cc: austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
Subject: Re: Defense Dept vs the State Department


Connie,

Well, I've read the Kaplan piece you cite twice and
I still dont understand it. I'll look at it at the
library tomorrow because somehow on paper it is
easier to figure out.

The Taliban has not itself ever undertaken any foreign
adventures, they are Afghans and Afghanistan is what
they are focused on. But they have hosted the Arab
warriors because the Arabs helped oust the Russians
and because their religious tendancies are the same,
very fundamentalist.

I imagine it is the Arabs our government is trying
to run down and kill above all. My current theory is
that hundreds or even over a thousand Arabs warriors
killed or captured will make an enormous impression
on the Arab world and will reduce future terrorism
on US soil to a minimum. I cant see any greater
"success" than this as even possible.

How the Taliban fits into this scenario is very unclear.
We have no reason to want to kill Talibans in and of
themselves, its the Ay-rabs we're after. The Taliban
have offered to hand Osama over to a third country,
Islamic, but their honor does not permit them to
hand him over to the Americans.

Mike

Connie Clark wrote:
>
> Would killing 1000 Arabs, or 7000 Taliban soldiers on
> the front, or would getting 1 Bin Laben, 1 Zahwiri,
> and 1 Atef do it? and who will govern A?  It's
> complicated, or is it like the attached: that Kofi
> Amin and Powell are just thinking too much!  We should
> just have an American victory. (Note that it isn't
> 'if' but 'how' and 'when').
>
> Late comments:
> http://www.thenewrepublic.com/102901/kaplan102901.html
>
> ...so what do you think?