http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/margolis.html
An Afghanistan primer: The good the bad and the ... VERY bad
By ERIC MARGOLIS
November 11, 2001
Toronto Sun
Contributing Foreign Editor
Afghanistan is very confusing. Here's a quick guide to help keep track
of all the players in the crusade against terrorism.
- The Taliban - VERY BAD Afghans. These dour 11th-century rustics wear
turbans, don't shave and cover up their womenfolk. They have defied
the U.S. by refusing to hand over guest Osama bin Laden, a national
hero of the war against the Soviets. Nations that defy Uncle Sam get
carpet bombed.
These wicked Talibs run a state based on Islamic law, an outrage in
our modern age - except, of course, in the case of Israel, whose
people say they were given their state by God, and that's GOOD, except
for troublemaking local inhabitants, called Palestinians, who are
terrorists and BAD. U.S. President George Bush says he draws
instruction from the Bible, and this is GOOD, but when the Taliban's
Mullah Omar follows the Koran, that's EVIL.
- The Northern Alliance - GOOD Afghans, even though they run the opium
trade and are led by war criminals. They make nice parades and vow to
crush the Taliban - provided the U.S. does all the fighting. Their
arms come from Russia, their money from the CIA. You can easily spot
them because they wear baggy Iranian uniforms and caps, not turbans.
They cover up their women, just like those insensitive Taliban brutes.
- Pakistan - on Sept. 10 it was a borderline terrorist state run by a
BAD military dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who backed the Taliban
and had lots of EVIL Islamic friends. By Sept. 15, however, Pakistan
had become a heroic ally in the crusade against terrorism. Pakistan
shamelessly ditched its old ally, the Taliban, and handed over the
country for use by the U.S. military. Musharraf, now GOOD, is hailed
in the West for courage and vision, though 88% of his voiceless people
heartily disagree. Before getting somewhat elected, President Bush
couldn't even name Pakistan's leader when asked by a reporter. Now,
Bush and Musharraf are new best friends.
- The USA - GOOD, minding-its-own-business, totally innocent victim of
evil Islamic-Nazi forces, according to the well-read Bush, a former
business partner of the bin Laden family. Just because the U.S. has
gone to war against Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, Iran, Sudan, Somalia
and Afghanistan is no reason to believe it has anything against
Muslims. Some of America's best friends - like the shah of Iran,
Saddam Hussein, and the enlightened royal families of Saudi Arabia,
Morocco, and the Gulf - have been Muslims.
And just because the Israelis use U.S.-made tanks and helicopters to
crush the Palestinian uprising and assassinate its leaders - a GOOD
act of counter-terrorism - that's no reason for anyone to get mad at
the United States. Washington has even thoughtfully got the media to
censor itself so Americans won't be upset by TV footage of dead
Afghani children.
- Russia - the big winner in this unfolding mess. Clever leader Vlad
Putin hornswoggles Bush into backing Russia's barbaric repression of
Chechens as "anti-terrorism." American cash flows to the Kremlin. The
Russkis are pressing the U.S. to crush the Taliban, saving them the
nasty, expensive job. Ditto for Israel, trying hard to get U.S.
crusaders to B-52 Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Iran.
- Saudi Arabia - main financier of extremist Islamic groups - provided
they stay far away from the oil kingdom. Backed the Taliban and
extremist Wahhabis in Afghanistan in a covert war against hated foe
Iran. U.S. troops based in Saudi Arabia prevent its people from
overthrowing their beloved royal family. The Saudis - a.k.a. "our
Arabs" - used to be GOOD, but now, because of their reluctance to help
kill large numbers of fellow Muslims, they are being rebranded by the
U.S. media as BAD.
- Iran - VERY BAD ultra-terrorists until Sept. 11. Iran has been
stirring the Afghan pot for 20 years. Tehran's mullahs hate the
Taliban's mullahs, and Pakistan. Being much cleverer than Arabs, whom
Iranians also hate, Iran's slippery mullahs are playing footsie with
the U.S., and jointly backed the GOOD Northern Alliance against the
BAD Taliban. Previous U.S. claims Iran was a "rogue state," and guilty
of the bombing of U.S. military bases in Saudi Arabia, have been
quietly dropped. Iran is now PRETTY GOOD.
- Terrorists - Last week, Tamil "terrorists" staged bloody suicide
attacks in Sri Lanka; Basque "terrorists" murdered a Spanish judge and
exploded a powerful car bomb in Madrid; the IRA detonated a car bomb
in Britain. Not a peep came from Washington. Terrorism, in the
American definition, boils down to acts of violence only against
American interests.
- Osama bin Laden - ULTRA BAD and still alive and frothing after a
month of being a bull's eye for America's vast military might. Calls
Muslims to launch a jihad against the West, when what Muslims really
need is a jihad against their own rotten societies that make them a
helpless prey to western political and economic exploitation. Brother
Osama is increasingly seen in the Third World as a saintly figure,
thanks to his demonization by the U.S. media. Many Osama wannabes are
waiting in the wings.
- U.S. strategy - Carpet bomb 'em back to the 4th century, waste bin
Laden, and get the hell out before the BAD GUYS in turbans win.
