Putting aside all the conspiracy theories about 911,Prof David Ray Griffin asks some very pertinent questions about our invasion of Afghanistan.http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=GR1201006&articleId=19891

Prof Marjory Cohen an expert on international law ,"The bombings of the Afghanis by the US and Uk are illegal." The Clinton administration gave up and offered them a carpet of gold or a carpet of bombs.Prior 911 the Taliban had stopped the production of heroine in Afghanistan and there was a global drought.

Now Afghanistan produces 90% of the world's heroine with video of allied soldiers walking amongst the poppy plantations.

Are we just plain stupid or just too corrupt to realise our own foibles?

"Putting aside conspiracy theories ... ".

Anyway, moving straight into another one. So what you saying, is that we are complicit in illegal drug trade out of Afghanistan?.

The unfortunate thing about reality, Arjay, is that things aren't all that black and white. Let's say we actually do aerial spray all the poppy plantations throughout Afghanistan like the yanks wanted to do in 2008, what do the locals do for money, and if there's no money, who do they turn to, us, or the Taliban?. There's been an ongoing effort to get the farmers to grow alternative crops but quite obviously if there's not the same amount of money in it they're going to keep planting out out poppy fields.

The other way you could look at your little conspiracy theory is the supply and demand aspect. If there was no demand, then the supply side would become a non-issue as well.

Read this bit of a book.

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=zNzW8clD-M0C&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122&dq=effects+of+taliban+stopping+opium+growing&source=bl&ots=DRxSvhh5nB&sig=o0wYr-tdAD-TwLdFJYW7zNkdRZE&hl=en&ei=6IwmTJKiC82OkQXyos21CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEkQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=effects%20of%20taliban%20stopping%20opium%20growing&f=false

StG ,Did you even bother to read any of Prof David Ray's essay?I think not.Therefore,how are you qualified to comment? Prof Griffin does not deal here with unsubstanciated theories.He backs them up with facts and references.

Prof Niels Harritt will be coming to Sydney 17/7/10 to present his peer review paper on nano thermite.Proof of explosives used in 911.280 Pitt St Sydney 7.00 pm.Sydney Mechanical School of Arts.You can book StG johnbursill@gmail.com Free call 1300153372.

Perhaps stG you could then remove your shroud of ignorance.

So sorry, I thought this was a site for opinions, debate, and discussion. No, you're right, I didn't read it but then again I wasn't talking to Dr whoever, I was talking to you.

I believe woolies has a sale on al-foil for your hats at the moment Arjay. Luck with the campaign.

So I read it Arjay, and read a few others that I'm considering plagiarising some of the content for a 'stand-up' routine. I particularly enjoyed the one about how there are no actual insurgents or enemies of the allies in Iraq, IT'S ACTUALLY - said as a matter of fact - the CIA and Israel doing all the bombings....*cough*

Just a snippet:

"The Israelis, CIA, US and UK military all regularly assassinate suspected militants along with innocent men, women and children. They consider no-one to be innocent. Nor would false-flag provocations be beyond the US-Israeli axis. On 8 June 1967 the Israelis attempted to sink the USS Liberty in an attack that left 34 American sailors dead and 173 wounded. The American Department of Defence colluded with Israel. It recalled fighter aircraft that had been launched from a nearby carrier to give assistance and probably co-planned the incident. The crew was threatened and warned not to talk about the attack."

Here it tis: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19168

Global Research beautifully summed up the entire website with their disclaimer at the bottom of every article.

"Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization. The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this article."

IT's opinions, Arjay. There's a difference between opinion and truth.

Another highlight was contacting Global Research media on their Yahoo account. lol

I was 'almost' sucked into giving this 'person' the credit of reading their paper, right up until seeing 'nano-thermite used on 911' and the rest that is.

Afghanistan is probably the biggest test of the last Century, what exactly have we learned?

1.We have learned from the Boer War that removing the civilians from the warzone doesn't work...

2.We have learned from Vietnam that we cannot hope to remove the fighters from the village by bombing them into peace (they have too little to lose for that to work, not PC but true).

So.. We can not remove the civilians or the fighters they support from the status quo, so our only remaining option is to change the status quo.

For the people who struggle with the destruction of the poppies (1) if the farmers revert to growing wheat instead of poppies (as they did under the Taliban), then obviously the farmers were able to exist whilst growing wheat; and (2) the farmers obviously DO NOT NEED TO GROW POPPIES.

Let's get rid of the poppies, the single most destructive influence in the place is the greed they represent. While ever they are there, the place CANNOT change.

What else? Rebuild and set the place up so it is administratively, politically, defensively and economically viable? Cool, take the local people onboard (vetted volunteers only), teach them, let them help to build their future and train them to ensure it for themselves.

That is the only way that they will have enough to lose to resist the Taliban, to resist the slide back into their old lives...

How do I know it WILL work, I don't... I do know any strategy relying upon the people changing without the environment changing is a forlorn hope. Einstein defined "insanity" as doing the same thing, multiple times, hoping for a different result each time...

Neither removing the belligerents nor the civilians from the area works, so the area has to change. Trial and error with people's lives sucks, yes... But in this case, THEY have NOTHING to lose (suicide bombings sorta demonstrate that).