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Afghanistan
Jonathan S. Landay has been reporting on Afghanistan for 23 years. Now that the U.S. Administration plans a new surge into the country, Landay says that in Afghanistan, "there's a great deal of apprehension." Landay says he believes that, "most Afghans don't want the Taliban back, at least not the way they ran the country in the 1990s. And yet, because of the fact that these last eight years have been squandered by the previous administration, and because of its misguided policies towards Pakistan, and because of Pakistan's policies, people are very much sitting on the fence in Afghanistan. He says this is, "because they're not convinced anymore that the United States is there to "rebuild" their country, they are convinced that the U.S. is there to occupy their country as part of a war against Islam."
Blogfather
Pakistan
In some regions of Pakistan, including the Swat Valley and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), militant Islamists have been particularly effective in spreading their message via FM radio. One key figure is a guy named Maulana Fazlullah.
Fazlullah spent $200 on his FM broadcasting rig. His signal did not carry beyond the rim of the Swat Valley, but his message reached the hearts and minds of the locals. While the cowardly Yanks bombed civilians, Fazlullah beheaded four cops up close and personal.
Consequently, he has a power base 100 miles from Islamabad and 44 Pakistani nuclear warheads. The American faith in her war toys is touching but fatal.
Israel
Boycott the War Mongers not Israel
Boycotts do not enjoy a great deal of success. Usually, they only harm ordinary law-abiding citizens. The criminal elite continue to prosper.
If pacifists want to satisfy their egos punishing war mongers, it's no skin off my nose. However, peacemakers should boycott the aggressors. The USA has killed 7.2 millions Asians in three preemptive wars. Sudan has committed genocide 430,000 Darfurians dead. Iran and her proxies Palestine and Lebanon have staged two preemptive strikes in three years against Israel. The bloodthirsty NATO nations have made incursions into Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.
The UN is forever shamed because it allowed these despicable nations to violate its charter. The UN should have punished these outlaws to the fullest extent. If individuals exact retributions on these scoundrels, I have no objection.
In this regard the Taliban have made a noble gesture. They propose to take over the Pakistan nuclear arsenal and to destroy the USA.
If a pacifist has taken punitive actions against the war mongering nations, I can understand his boycott of Israel.
If the pacifist takes action only against Israel, he is a partner to first degree murder and attempted genocide.
