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Thirty Years Ago Today, Afghanistan’s Nightmare Began

Too many of us have forgotten the horrors that the Soviet Union wreaked on Afghanistan, as I write at The New Ledger, and it is a rare occurrence of historic justice that Afghanistan catalyzed the extinction of the Soviet Union itself.

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  2. So you’re sure about something that’s alleged to have happened today? Before there’s been any independent inquiry? And the use of the word “murder” suggests that the NATO forces killed those civilians intentionally. Can you back that up? Are you seriously suggesting that this is comparable to the intentional killing of up to 2 million Afghans and the sowing of most of its countryside with mines?

    Certainly if civilians did die from NATO fire, changes to the rules of engagement would be worth very careful consideration — big powers have a tendency to overuse firepower in counterinsurgencies. Is that what you’re pushing for — more humane rules of engagement? — or do you have some other agenda?

    Let’s also be honest about who you are and what you stand for. You leave comments elsewhere under your name. Why not here? Wasn’t that you who wrote that love letter to Russia’s puppet government in Chechnya on its web site? The completely unrepresentative puppet regime Putin imposed? After he ordered his air force to flatten Grozny at the cost of thousands of civilian lives, and to imprison and torture thousands of innocent civilians? When Djokar Dudaev was elected in a referendum, Chechnya was a bastion of moderate, wine-swilling Muslims. Just as in Afghanistan, the Russians’ brutality radicalized Chechnya. Do you support what Russia has done there? Do you support the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan for similar reasons? What could those reasons be?

    As for Afghanistan, I have yet to hear you offer any defense of the atrocious behavior of the Soviets there. That may be because that behavior is indefensible.

  3. Dear Josh,

    Afghanistan NEEDS a strongman. An acceptable dictator can bring peace and stability to that country. Sure it may offend your democratic sensibilities, but at least a would-be tough guy can somehow cobble that God-forsaken country together. The Western alliance can try to reform the Afghans later. The Soviets were war criminals in Afghanistan sure. I never said they were saints. But at least Al-Qaeda never set up shop when the Russians were there. I would take that an acceptable dictatorship as a “victory” in Afghanistan rather hearing all that bullshit that came from the Bush administration about “liberal democracy”, “human rights”, “civil liberties” and “the rule of law” being introduced to Central Asia. It’s more bullshit than I can stand.

    I admit I stepped over the line when I said NATO soldiers were murderers. All war is legalized murder in my opinion. But NATO is aggravating the situation by hitting civilian targets needlessly. NATO is provoking Pakistan needlessly. Unless and until the Afghans recognize Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan, there will be resistance to NATO’s operations in that region.

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126201879556807635.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth

    NATO should cut a deal with Pakistan and allow the Taliban a role in Afghan politics in order to protect Pakistani interests in Afghanistan. Thankfully it appears the leadership in Washington is coming to this conclusion. Bush was too rigid in not accepting such a solution in Central Asia in which Russia, China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have a role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction. There was way too much bullshit coming from the Bush White House about justice and liberty being spread around the world at the points of American bayonets in my opinion.