[meteorite-list] A different slant.

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From: Michael Casper <Michael_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:49:01 2004
Message-ID: <001301c14065$ea167760$0200a8c0_at_Domain>

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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A different slant.

> Subject: FW: From someone who grew up in Afghanistan
>=20
>=20
>=20
> > Dear Colleagues,
> >=20
> > As we reflect upon the tragic events of this week and an appropriate =

> > "response," I thought you might like to see this letter from my=20
> > college roommate, Tamim Ansary, who grew up in Afghanistan. I think =

> > he offers an interesting perspective on Bin Laden, the Taliban, and=20
> > Afghanistan.
> >=20
> > Toivo Kallas
> > Department of Biology & Microbiology
> >=20
> > >Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 10:14:27 -0700
> > >
> > >Dear Friends,=20
> > >
> > >Yesterday I heard a lot of talk about "bombing Afghanistan back to=20
> > >the Stone Age." Ronn Owens, on KGO Talk Radio allowed that this=20
> > >would mean killing innocent people, people who had nothing to do=20
> > >with this atrocity, but "we're at war, we have to accept collateral =

> > >damage," and he asked, "What else can we do? What is your=20
> > >suggestion?" Minutes later I heard a TV pundit discussing whether=20
> > >we "have the belly to do what must be done."
> > >
> > >And I thought about these issues especially hard because I am from=20
> > >Afghanistan, and even though I've lived here for 35 years I've =
never=20
> > >lost track of what's been going on over there. So I want to share a =

> > >few thoughts with anyone who will listen.
> > >
> > >I speak as one who hates the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden. There is=20
> > >no doubt in my mind that these people were responsible for the=20
> > >atrocity in New York. I fervently wish to see those monsters=20
> > >punished.
> > >
> > >But the Taliban and Ben Laden are not Afghanistan. They're not =
even=20
> > >the government of Afghanistan. The Taliban are a cult of ignorant=20
> > >psychotics who captured Afghanistan in 1997 and have been holding=20
> > >the country in bondage ever since. Bin Laden is a political =
criminal=20
> > >with a master plan. When you think Taliban, think Nazis. When you=20
> > >think Bin Laden, think Hitler. And when you think "the people of=20
> > >Afghanistan" think "the Jews in the concentration camps." It's =
not=20
> > >only that the Afghan people had nothing to do with this atrocity.=20
> > >They were the first victims of the perpetrators. They would love =
for=20
> > >someone to eliminate the Taliban and clear out the rats nest of=20
> > >international thugs holed up in their country. I guarantee it.
> > >
> > >Some say, if that's the case, why don't the Afghans rise up and=20
> > >overthrow the Taliban themselves? The answer is, they're starved,=20
> > >exhausted, damaged, and incapacitated. A few years ago, the United =

> > >Nations estimated that there are 500,000 disabled orphans in=20
> > >Afghanistan--a country with no economy, no food. Millions of=20
> > >Afghans are widows of the approximately two million men killed=20
> > >during the war with the Soviets. And the Taliban has been =
executing=20
> > >these women for being women and have buried some of their opponents =

> > >alive in mass graves. The soil of Afghanistan is littered with =
land=20
> > >mines and almost all the farms have been destroyed . The Afghan=20
> > >people have tried to overthrow the Taliban. They haven't been able=20
> > >to.
> > >
> > >We come now to the question of bombing Afghanistan back to the =
Stone=20
> > >Age. Trouble with that scheme is, it's already been done. The=20
> > >Soviets took care of it . Make the Afghans suffer? They're already =

> > >suffering. Level their houses? Done. Turn their schools into piles=20
> > >of rubble? Done. Eradicate their hospitals? Done. Destroy their=20
> > >infrastructure? There is no infrastructure. Cut them off from=20
> > >medicine and health care? Too late. Someone already did all that.
> > >
> > >New bombs would only land in the rubble of earlier bombs. Would=20
> > >they at least get the Taliban? Not likely. In today's Afghanistan,=20
> > >only the Taliban eat, only they have the means to move around.=20
> > >They'd slip away and hide. (They have already, I hear.) Maybe >=20
> > >the bombs would get some of those disabled orphans, they don't move =

> > >too fast, they don't even have wheelchairs. But flying over Kabul=20
> > >and dropping bombs wouldn't really be a strike against the =
criminals=20
> > >who did this horrific thing. Actually it would be making common=20
> > >cause with the Taliban--by raping once again the people they've =
been=20
> > >raping all this time
> > >
> > >So what else can be done, then? Let me now speak with true fear and =

> > >trembling. The only way to get Bin Laden is to go in there with=20
> > >ground troops. I think that when people speak of "having the belly=20
> > >to do what needs to be done" many of them are thinking in terms of=20
> > >having the belly to kill as many as needed. They are thinking =
about=20
> > >overcoming moral qualms about killing innocent people. But it's the =

> > >belly to die not kill that's actually on the table. Americans will =

> > >die in a land war to get Bin Laden. And not just because some=20
> > >Americans would die fighting their way through Afghanistan to Bin=20
> > >Laden's hideout. It's much bigger than that, folks. To get any=20
> > >troops to Afghanistan, we'd have to go through Pakistan. Would they =

> > >let us? Not likely. The conquest of Pakistan would have to be =
first.=20
> > >Will other Muslim nations just stand by? You see where I'm going.=20
> > >The invasion approach is a flirtation with global war between Islam =

> > >and the West.
> > >
> > >And that is Bin Laden's program. That's exactly what he wants and=20
> > >why he did this thing. Read his speeches and statements. It's all=20
> > >right there. AT the moment, of course, "Islam" as such does not=20
> > >exist. There are Muslims and there are Muslim countries, but no =
such=20
> > >political entity as Islam. Bin Laden believes that if he can get a =

> > >war started, he can constitute this entity and he'd be running it.=20
> > >He really believes Islam would beat the west. It might seem=20
> > >ridiculous, but he figures if he can polarize the world into Islam=20
> > >and the West, he's got a billion soldiers. If the West wreaks a=20
> > >holocaust in Muslim lands, that's a billion people with nothing =
left=20
> > >to lose, even better from Bin Laden's point of view. He's probably =

> > >wrong about winning, in the end the west would probably=20
> > >overcome--whatever that would mean in such a war; but the war would =

> > >last for years and millions would die, not just theirs but ours. =
Who=20
> > >has the belly for that? Bin Laden yes, but anyone else?
> > >
> > >I don't have a solution. But I do believe that suffering and =
poverty=20
> > >are the soil in which terrorism grows. Bin Laden and his cohorts=20
> > >want to bait us into creating more such soil, so they and their =
kind=20
> > >can flourish. We can't let him do that. That's my humble opinion.
> > >
> > >Tamim Ansary
>=20
>=20

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>A different =
slant. >=20
Subject:  FW: From someone who grew up in Afghanistan > =
 >=20
 > > > Dear Colleagues, > > > > As we =
reflect=20
upon the tragic events of this week and an appropriate > > =
"response,"=20
I thought you might like to see this letter from my > > =
college=20
roommate, Tamim Ansary, who grew up in Afghanistan.  I think =
 > >=20
he offers an interesting perspective on Bin Laden, the Taliban, and =
 >=20
> Afghanistan. > > > > Toivo Kallas > >=20
Department of Biology & Microbiology > > > > =
>Date:=20
Thu, 13 Sep 2001 10:14:27 -0700 > > > > > >Dear =
Friends,=20
 > > > > > >Yesterday I heard a lot of talk =
about=20
"bombing Afghanistan back to > > >the Stone Age." Ronn =
Owens, on=20
KGO Talk Radio allowed that this > > >would mean killing =
innocent=20
people, people who had nothing to do > > >with this =
atrocity, but=20
"we're at war, we have to accept collateral > > >damage," =
and he=20
asked, "What else can we do? What is your > > =
>suggestion?" =20
Minutes later I heard a TV pundit discussing whether > > =
>we "have=20
the belly to do what must be done." > > > > > =
>And I=20
thought about these issues especially hard because I am from > =
>=20
>Afghanistan, and even though I've lived here for 35 years I've never =

 > > >lost track of what's been going on over there. So I =
want to=20
share a > > >few thoughts with anyone who will =
listen. > >=20
> > > >I speak as one who hates the Taliban and Osama Bin =
Laden.=20
There is > > >no doubt in my mind that these people were=20
responsible for the > > >atrocity in New York. I fervently =
wish to=20
see those monsters > > >punished. > > > > =
>=20
>But the Taliban and Ben Laden are not Afghanistan.  They're not =
even=20
 > > >the government of Afghanistan.  The Taliban are a =
cult of=20
ignorant > > >psychotics who captured Afghanistan in 1997 =
and have=20
been holding > > >the country in bondage ever since. Bin =
Laden is a=20
political criminal > > >with a master plan.  When you =
think=20
Taliban, think Nazis. When you > > >think Bin Laden, think =
Hitler.=20
And when you think "the people of > > >Afghanistan" think =
"the Jews=20
in the concentration camps."   It's not > > >only =
that=20
the Afghan people had nothing to do with this atrocity. > > =
>They=20
were the first victims of the perpetrators. They would love for > =
>=20
>someone to eliminate the Taliban and clear out the rats nest of =
 >=20
> >international thugs holed up in their country. I guarantee =
it. >=20
> > > > >Some say, if that's the case, why don't the =
Afghans=20
rise up and > > >overthrow the Taliban themselves? The =
answer is,=20
they're starved, > > >exhausted, damaged, and =
incapacitated. =20
A few years ago, the United > > >Nations estimated that =
there are=20
500,000 disabled orphans in > > >Afghanistan--a country =
with no=20
economy, no food.  Millions of > > >Afghans are widows =
of the=20
approximately two million men killed > > >during the war =
with the=20
Soviets.  And the Taliban has been executing > > =
>these women=20
for being women and have buried some of their opponents > > =
>alive=20
in mass graves.  The soil of Afghanistan is littered with land =
 >=20
> >mines and almost all the farms have been destroyed . The Afghan =

 > > >people have tried to overthrow the Taliban. They =
haven't been=20
able > > >to. > > > > > >We come =
now to the=20
question of bombing Afghanistan back to the Stone > > >Age. =
Trouble=20
with that scheme is, it's already been done. The > > =
>Soviets took=20
care of it .  Make the Afghans suffer? They're already > =
>=20
>suffering. Level their houses? Done. Turn their schools into piles =
 >=20
> >of rubble? Done.  Eradicate their hospitals? Done.  =
Destroy=20
their > > >infrastructure?  There is no =
infrastructure. =20
Cut them off from > > >medicine and health care?  Too =
late.=20
Someone already did all that. > > > > > >New =
bombs would=20
only land in the rubble of earlier bombs.  Would > > =
>they at=20
least get the Taliban? Not likely. In today's Afghanistan, > > =

>only the Taliban eat, only they have the means to move around. =
 > >=20
>They'd slip away and hide. (They have already, I hear.)  Maybe =
>=20
 > > >the bombs would get some of those disabled orphans, =
they don't=20
move > > >too fast, they don't even have wheelchairs. But =
flying=20
over Kabul > > >and dropping bombs wouldn't really be a =
strike=20
against the criminals > > >who did this horrific thing. =
Actually it=20
would be making common > > >cause with the Taliban--by =
raping once=20
again the people they've been > > >raping all this =
time >=20
> > > > >So what else can be done, then? Let me now =
speak with=20
true fear and > > >trembling. The only way to get Bin Laden =
is to=20
go in there with > > >ground troops. I think that when =
people speak=20
of "having the belly > > >to do what needs to be done" many =
of them=20
are thinking in terms of > > >having the belly to kill as =
many as=20
needed.  They are thinking about > > >overcoming moral =
qualms=20
about killing innocent people. But it's the > > >belly to =
die not=20
kill that's actually on the table.  Americans will > > =
>die in=20
a land war to get Bin Laden.  And not just because some > =
>=20
>Americans would die fighting their way through Afghanistan to Bin =
 >=20
> >Laden's hideout.  It's much bigger than that, folks. To =
get any=20
 > > >troops to Afghanistan, we'd have to go through =
Pakistan. Would=20
they > > >let us? Not likely. The conquest of Pakistan =
would have=20
to be first. > > >Will other Muslim nations just stand by? =
You see=20
where I'm going. > > >The invasion approach is a flirtation =
with=20
global war between Islam > > >and the West. > >=20
> > > >And that is Bin Laden's program. That's exactly =
what he=20
wants and > > >why he did this thing.  Read his =
speeches and=20
statements. It's all > > >right there.  AT the moment, =
of=20
course, "Islam" as such does not > > >exist. There are =
Muslims and=20
there are Muslim countries, but no such > > >political =
entity as=20
Islam.  Bin Laden believes that if he can get a > > =
>war=20
started, he can constitute this entity and he'd be running it. > =
>=20
>He really believes Islam would beat the west. It might seem > =
>=20
>ridiculous, but he figures if he can polarize the world into Islam =
 >=20
> >and the West, he's got a billion soldiers.  If the West =
wreaks a=20
 > > >holocaust in Muslim lands, that's a billion people =
with=20
nothing left > > >to lose, even better from Bin Laden's =
point of=20
view.  He's probably > > >wrong about winning, in the =
end the=20
west would probably > > >overcome--whatever that would mean =
in such=20
a war; but the war would > > >last for years and millions =
would=20
die, not just theirs but ours. Who > > >has the belly for =
that? Bin=20
Laden yes, but anyone else? > > > > > >I don't =
have a=20
solution. But I do believe that suffering and poverty > > =
>are the=20
soil in which terrorism grows. Bin Laden and his cohorts > > =
>want=20
to bait us into creating more such soil, so they and their kind > =
>=20
>can flourish. We can't let him do that. That's my humble =
opinion. >=20
> > > > >Tamim Ansary > >=20
 </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Tue 18 Sep 2001 01:18:20 PM PDT

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