Replies to post #946 on 'Idea of the day' trading in and out for profit

[Ike Latif]

Osama head now worth 25mUS$, that is quite a drooling tempting money for alot of big Pushtun Warlords. I ll tell you a small story about how Pushtuns kill for small sums as paltry as $200. The people who kill are called "Ujratis" I would be surprised if warlords dont throw him up even from the deepest of the caves.
The soccer fields were killing fields Snow Shoe, I was listening to one of these interview by Mutawakil the foreign minister for Taleban, and someone asked him on BBC that we gave you the money to build a soccer stadium to play soccer so that the youth of Afghanistan have some outlet and you have turned this soccer ground into a killing field. You know what that guy replied.

He said I am very grateful for the money that the international agency has given us for the soccer stadium but our priorities is a little different, we have a law and order situation on our hand and for us we would be grateful if you gave us some more money to make a proper killing field so that the youth can play in the soccer stadium!

When bigots rule a nation the priorities get mingled up,Afghanistan is a classic example of a nation stuck up in a pre Rennaissance period.

On fall of Kabul, I felt it was like a jail break. A whole nation was freed from the nation, much as anyone would say that Kabulis are Tajiks and Hazaras but still the Pushtun element could be seen dancing on the road.

Which human does not like freedom. Freedom is more important than even the nicest of luxuries in life.I think freedom of Kuwait was in the last decade very important economically but here the freedom from the hand of opressive Taleban was very special.

I think that although nations do forget act of valor to help them to freedom that many in Europe have, history will note this fall of Kabul as a turning point as far as relationship between civilisations go. A huge price has been paid by America but I am fully confident that every person that has fallen, his/her sacrifice will certainly help to make this world a better place.



Iqbal Latif

[Ike Latif]

Taliban were a myth, their invincibility was a myth, most of the analysts never really thought that their coming and now going would be like a whimper. No guerilla war can be pursued with success unless it is fully supported by the common people. The Taliban are treated as aliens in the whole non-Pushtun belt in Northern Afghanistan and in Herat in the West. They had to leave several cities in a huff because they expected no support from the local people. The rejoicing in the streets of Kabul at the arrival of their opponents would indicate what kind of treatment they should expect if they ever tried to sneak back into the area as guerillas.
They just folded. I had no doubts about this falling of house of cards, we were very fair and now also I don't think that any comparisons on guerrilla wars are true or realistic. On Tuesday the Taliban forces fled Kabul in the darkness of night without firing a single shot, thus abandoning the people of capital to their fate. They had earlier withdrawn from a number of cities including Mazar-i-Sharif, Bamian and Herat without giving battle. All these towns had been won by them after enormous bloodshed. Their withdrawal from 80 percent of the country is being described as a tactical retreat and the Taliban supporters expect them to win back the lost areas through guerrilla war. This is a new myth, which is bound to explode like several others floated earlier. Without external support no amount of freedom fight can succeed, mountain do grow wheat, the surrounding areas are now hostile to Taliban and water is really scarce, they would also need continuous supply of weapons and communication. All this is seriously missing.



Iqbal Latif