Dear SPQR,

You are correct, even though Ajmal Naqshbandi's body was never recovered so the method of his murder remains in question, especially as the Taliban usually post video of their high profile executions, I would still say there is a fair chance he was beheaded.

What drew so much anger from the Afghan population was the fact that Hamid Karzai was prepared to release 5 Taliban Commanders in order to secure the release of the Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo who was captured with Ajmal but refused to release two more to save Ajmal's life.

Now while I see this as barbaric and deserving of condemnation I would be interested to know why some of you think the same. Was it because someone was executed? Well the US still does it. Was it the method? Saudi Arabia finds it acceptable.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/April/middleeast_April113.xml&section=middleeast

I am against the state executing anybody but some of you may not be so squeamish.

Was it the fact that they were non-combatants? Mullah Dadullah, if he were alive would may well say he achieved a great strategic victory. He had five commanders returned including his brother, there were no women and children nor any of his own men killed in the exchange. In fact only three lives were lost and they were those who were taking a calculated risk attempting to make contact with the Taliban.

I find the whole episode sickening, horrifying and upsetting. But if we contrast this against what the CIA is prepared to do to remove one just commander from the battlefield then I'm not sure why some of you would be feeling as I do since you obviously condone sickening, horrifying and upsetting deeds as long as they are done in your name.

Being a civil libertarian doesn't seem to have any fundamental flaws as a political philosophy, does it Csteele . I think your spot on, and Poirot your posts a positively lateral.

And Belly I too respect your posts. In this instance you don't appear as secular as I perceived you to be, and may have a fundamental religious belief colouring your opinion on this one.

I understand how history portrays itself as justification for the present.

It's truth that is hard to find, particularly since Hitler invented propaganda by mass media. So on this one we will have to agree to disagree on this one, our mutual respect intact, hopefully?.

cheers

Thinker 2 I do at times have problems getting my reasons I Hold my views across.
My education is one of experiences and life's lessons, not formal.
I am the product of every thing I ever was or will be.
I swam in the lefts swimming pools, all of them.
My ideals and dreams from those days are not all dead, some continue to be my views today.
Do not discount me because of age, age is no reason for my views.
I still think any mass control of humanity, including your reference to Hitlers mind control, now a tool for EVERY COUNTRY, I see in every religion needless interference in humanity's progress, wellbeing and freedom.
I with every single nerve ending, think the true left and its fellow travelers MUST BE my enemy's.
I FEAR Labors fate, without burying forever Rudd's failure to produce any thing.
And with out distancing our selves, FOREVER from left extremism.
I see a blindness here ,tell me I am wrong, we will you know face a very hot war against Islamist Fascism, NOT Islam.
Yesterday, the day before, almost certainly today,if not tomorrow, deaths by murder took place.
The last was a human bomb in a market place.
17 murdered people.
csteele says drones are unlawful.
Good intentions good thoughts are wasted if only one side is to use them.
The left fought for freedom equality a better world, now it just fights America and its friend's.
I hold great hope how ever,I grew up, faced my mistakes, became part of the only party with a chance to change anything.
My country will fall if it stands alone in defending its self.
It will do just that if it withdraws in the green say from reality and truth.
My hope? in time the ALP will again value its voters,and in time the greens true radical nature will let many follow my path, get involved in true politics of achievable change.

Would not discount your experience/age Belly, I too have seen a lot of water under the bridge.

I'm not so sure that the object of Islamist Fascists is to expand their territory and influence,
but more to gain control over Govt in the countries where they exist.
I also believe that the need for fanatical vengeance, thankfully exists among a very small number of people, islamic or otherwise.

Musicians see a bit of the world Belly as well, and if I may indulge myself Belly by describing the imbalance
I see in the world via the lyric of one of my songs called "The Bubble",

What's the news on the cable by the hour
people throwing rocks at invading nuclear power
A big man sitting safely sipping whisky in a tower,
lights flame to a fuse,
you got nothing to lose except the world.

After all this time, I see only civil and social liberty as a political goal worth achieving.
We are over policed, under represented by Gov't, and under-informed too say the least.

I certainly and personally, don't feel need to be protected from myself, nor should others feel the need to be protected from me.
I think this is true of most people.

But we all need to be protected from that small percentage of people, whom feel the need to control the rest of us for our own good.
No matter which pulpit they mount, or story they tell.

As my dear old dad would say,"the trouble with people who seek power
is that usually, they're the one's least qualified to have it".

I like your dad too thinker 2.
I like also the fact you are what you are I love music but life has taken other directions for me.
I said my life made me the person I am ,it continues to do so.
Hopefully I will never again be hungry never watch my siblings be that way.
Not a flash bloke I am content to stay home and have a quite beer.
But you, me every one never gets it right all the time.
My thoughts are truly held, may not be right, but I think they are.
I see a much bigger threat in Islamic growth than you do.
Looking back I reminded by the Spanish Inquisition, awful acts in the name of a God.
IF we ,humanity, could only get away from the need to be controlled by God.
To hate and kill in that name.
If we ignore a threat, hope it will go away we are doomed.
These human bombs every one of them died and murdered for what?
What a great world it would be if we could be one human race.
I want the left to ask what about Iran's people, Chinas , north Korea's, Zimbabwe, who is crying for Burma?
I will not retreat from saying it, all my life I have been aware life is a tree,full off monkeys I stand under it on the ground looking up, your dad would have told you what the result is but honesty matters to me.

I don't think your old enough to reminded of the Spanish Inquisition Belly.(haha)

About a week before my dad passed away I was sitting and watching TV with him, something provocative or explicit was being promo'd (I think).

He turned and said to me "the way they carry on, you would think that sex had just been invented, wouldn't you?".

They carry on like lots of things are new, when they have always existed. New dilemmas new threats, new medical conditions with new drugs to cure them etc, even new drugs without a condition to cure but they'll find one.

I'm not sure whose driving anymore Belly and my faith in Labor is already gone. What's next nuclear power?. More mining in Kakadu?. The other side?, never had any faith in them.

Getting back to drones, I think that these sorts of things shouldn't be borne in silence and csteele is right to draw attention to the dis-humanity of it.