Dear Pelican,

I think there will come a day when the US will apologise to the world for its actions in the tribal areas, when that will be however I do not know.

Dear philo,

Can I please give you this assurance, a tribesman in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan where 97% of the population is agrarian, literacy is at 17%, healthcare virtually non-existent, who has been subject to brutal attacks by the Pakistani Armed Forces and now facing drone strikes several times a week has very little time to devote to despising your freedoms, Taliban or not.

Dear Yabby,

No the Taliban did not refuse to hand them over, they said if the evidence was given showing their involvement in the attack they would hand bin Laden and others over to an agreed Islamic jurisdiction.

Even before 9/11 but post the US embassy bomb attacks negotiations were in play.

From Ahmed Rushid's book the Taliban – Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia; “The Taliban tried to cut a deal with Washington – to allow him to leave the country in exchange for US recognition. Thus until the winter of 1998 the Taliban saw bin Laden as an asset, a bargaining chip over which they could negotiate with the Americans. The US state department opened a satellite communication to speak to Mulah Omar directly. The Afghanistan desk officers, helped by a Pushto translator, held lengthy conversations with Omar in which both sides explored various options, but to no avail.” But without a compromise forthcoming they quickly saw Bin Laden instead “as a liability”.

The Taliban actually had little time or respect for the foreign fighters but they did bring in a lot of funds from Saudi Arabia and other donors.

Dear Belly,

You said “No no one squealing about that weapon, drones yes but human bombs?”. I'm not saying both aren't tragic but could you please give us some details so we can compare it to the funeral attack. Was there a specific target? Was there a strategic rational to it? How many civilians were killed? Does the fact that it was a suicide bomber make a difference?

csteele,
It appears you are appealing to desperate self presevation in the face of Taliban moral supremacy. But in a Taliban society you would be the first to be beheaded because of your failure to observe shar'ia religious laws.

csteele it is like setting out to ride a push bike to Brisbane without wheels trying to make progress here.
IF only,you can look at yesterdays front page storys,even todays.
While you focus on Taliban, you are aware they are one part of the horrible groups you appear to defend.
This morning is not unlike yesterday TWO car bombs, one targeting children at a religious celebration, 50 dead, more,and 150 injured.
I think the chances/need for America to EVER say sorry for its actions are none existent.
Say equal to the Chance Islamic fascists will free women, recognize others rights to worship any God, and that the wonderful Taliban will never again return to [if in power ]turning sports grounds in to killing Fields for mass entertainment.
csteele you find drones unacceptable?

Dear philo,I googled "despise our freedoms" to see where this now hackneyed phrase comes from and instead came upon this extremely powerful piece on the Times online.

"The new laws whisper:

You don't know who you are

You're mistaken about yourself

We know better than you do what you consist of, what labels apply to you, which facts about you are important and which are worthless

We do not believe you can be trusted to know these things, so we shall know them for you"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5811412.ece

It is well worth the read and I invite you to do so. But back on topic, there may well be a case that the 9/11 lot thought in those terms, being well off and quite highly educated Saudis, but to claim this as a legit fear that is worth committing war crimes over against the Pakistan Taliban is deluded.

Dear belly,

Mate sometimes you are harder to pin down than a tiger snake on a Tarmac in the Territory hissing and spitting all over the place.

You said “No no one squealing about that weapon, drones yes but human bombs?"

I invited you to give the details so we could compare the two and you have brought up different groups and events. Can we get back to the original bombing you referred to? Just give me a link if you have it and I will look for myself or do you think the comparison will make you uncomfortable?