USA, Canada /
Are you a US citizen? Test for Americans. [67]
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"I just wonder if an average (again - no offense meant) American has got access to the same information as I do. You know - by watching TV, reading newspapers etc. My questions are not intended to blame anyone or something. I just have got this strange feeling that the Americans and the rest of the world are not living on the same planet.
I'll bite...
Reading some of your past post I can tell you're well versed and full of opinions on the US (and many other subjects which is great)... I guess the russkis would classify you as "inteligentia" but of course, they'd probably shoot you in the back of your head way back when but that's a different story. I also know that you have Dr. Mengele Syndrome - somehow you think your race (in this case nationality) is better than the rest of the world and immune to the plague of racism. Other nationalities? Sure, Germans, Brits, Americans, French, etc. can all be racist but Poles simply cannot. The catholic religion and our history makes it impossible... (I say our because I too am born in Poland) You think Americans live on an another planet? Yeah right, look in the mirror Mr. Perfectski... (or Ms. Perfectska ;)
1) Ring leader? what do you mean? I know he's my President and my Commander -in-Chief, is that what you're alluding to?
2) You sure he was trained by CIA and not by KGB? I'm sorry, I mean FSB. IF CIA "trained" him they surely screwed up majorly as he turned out to be the biggest lefty prez "CIA has ever trained". LOL
3) Well, I've had the privilege of having flown in supplies to our unit there three times in the last 5 years. It's a tiny place, hard or rather tight approach (due to the proximity of the Cuban airspace) and the "poor terrorists" are getting fatter by the hour.
4) So have the Spanish and the French. There was also a large German influence who at one point pretty much controlled the commerce on Haiti. What's your point?
5) Yes and no. Mujahedin were holy warriors supported by the US (and other western governments). Many were Afghans but even more came from other Muslim lands and their main goal was to free Afghanistan from the Soviet occupation, in other words they viewed themselves as freedom fighters who also happened to have the blessing of their religion - thus holy warriors - mujahedin.
Taliban (or Taleban) is a primarily religious movement and the majority of them are Afghanis and Pakistanis (especially influential in the Pashtun tribe).
For a long time the two groups (or rather the many groups as they're splintered in many tribal sections) fought a very bloddy battle. In fact, one of their best mujahedin commanders
Ahmad Massod who was strikingly pro-western rightfully predicted that unless the West got rid of the Taliban and stopped the Taliban brainwash of young men sooner or later they'd turn their swords toward the West.
He tried to get help from Europeans and from Americans - his attempts were futile...
This is an excerpt from his speech to the European Parliament on April 6th, 2001 (less than 6 months from the 9/11 attack!)
April 6, 2001: Rebel Leader Warns Europe and US About Large-Scale Imminent Al-Qaeda Attacks
Ahmed Shah Massoud speaking before European Parliament. [Source: Robert Sanchez/ Black Star]
Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the Northern Alliance fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, has been trying to get aid from the US but his people are only allowed to meet with low level US officials. In an attempt to get his message across, he addresses the European Parliament:
"If President Bush doesn't help us, these terrorists will damage the US and Europe very soon." [DAWN (KARACHI), 4/7/2001; TIME, 8/4/2002] A classified US intelligence document states,
"Massoud's intelligence staff is aware that the attack against the US will be on a scale larger than the 1998 embassy bombings, which killed over two hundred people and injured thousands (see 10:35-10:39 a.m., August 7, 1998)." [DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, 11/21/2001 ] Massoud also meets privately with some CIA officials while in Europe. He tells them that his guerrilla war against the Taliban is faltering and unless the US gives a significant amount of aid, the Taliban will conquer all of Afghanistan. No more aid is forthcoming. [WASHINGTON POST].
If we'd only listened, however to many "bean counters" at the State Department felt supporting Masood was a waste of money as Taliban would win the civil war no matter what. Osama feared Masood and his gaining popularity amongst the Afghans and 2 days before 9/11 arranged for 2 fake reporters to interview Masood. He would plead for more help from the West however the cameramen had explosives hidden in their equipment and Masood was killed.
Somewhat related - the widow to one of the assassins remarried to another jihadist...
Today Taliban and Mujahedin often work together however it's a "your enemy is my enemy" type of brotherhood. We (the US) screwed up in a great detail when we abandoned the mujahedin after their win over the Soviets. Wilson rightfully predicted it was a big mistake and that we needed to build schools and hospitals there to help them recover from the Russki occupation. Short term gains of saving money prevailed in Pentagon and just like Wilson predicted - they turned against us.
A good friend of mine (and a neighbor) is retired from the CIA and he said the movie was fairly accurate although they exaggerated Wilson's extravagance in the movie. Either way, good movie and a great history lesson too.
More importantly - what's your point? ...or what's your beef as I'm sure there's a reason to your diatribe...
