|
The Taliban, Islam and Afghanistan
NMB, Florida November 14, 2001 A.H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.
THE TALIBAN, ISLAM AND AFGHANISTAN
If you are like me, you know nothing, really nothing, about the Taliban,
Islam and Afghanistan. Yet, our country is considering committing land
troops, American soldiers, on the ground instead of bombing that country's
wasteland into dust.
I remember the Somalia travesty. We went in there to help the Somali
people, being good American do-gooders, and we were astonished when the
locals attacked our troops. Why do we wonder when our good intentions are
mistaken for invasion? What business did we have there?
As a soldier in World War II in France at the end of the war, I was
astonished to see slogans written over earlier ones that said "Americans Go
Home". The French were our allies but the people in the towns did not care
for strangers - even those who helped them. There is something in the
psyche of rescued people. They need the help but want to do it all by
themselves - even when it appears they cannot. They call out for rescue but
turn it around and believe they rescued themselves and then turn on the
rescuers.
This may be what we can expect when we stop long distance bombing and send
our troops into a wasteland to try to monitor and regularize (according to
our standards) the treatment of prisoners, the restoration of civil
government and mediating corrupted inter-tribe disputes.
My fears are that we will be misinterpreted as we have been misrepresented
by the bin Laden propaganda. He is a folk hero to those people over there
because he is over there and they are there and we are not wanted. And, he
bested America by tactics they know well. We know, and the rest of the
world knows, they made a botch of it by letting the Taliban in. It is much
like putting ten territorial tigers into a small cage and expecting them to
sort out their problems by themselves. It is curious that we think we can
go in there and do it for them. We know nothing, really nothing about the
Taliban, Islam and Afghanistan. Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.
|
 |
|