Dear Belly,

You said; "Getting Russia out of Afghanistan was no bad thing. As was getting rid of Taliban, I share your concerns with Saudi Arabia, and put PAKISTAN in the never to be trusted basket. Those tribal areas are a blot on humanity, a people not able to see a different world and all its chances."

I agree that getting Russia out of Afghanistan was a good thing but how we, or rather America, went about it that was wrong and has directly led to the problems facing the world since.

I am also heartened to finally hear you say anything bad about that US ally Saudi Arabia.

But I am less judgmental about the Tribal Areas as I see them as having been the plaything of the two then super powers plus it's neighbor.

It is time to find a different approach to the area rather than bombing it from afar.

Selective use of drones while driven from afar are very near, and hardly bombing in the way we think about it.
Tribal areas are hardly out of the middle ages if at all.
Ruled by despotic leaders and a people not free to learn about the world as it is.
This part of the world has always been war like and at war,even with its self.
I will not concede Russia's exit from Afghanistan was badly done, and question what do you want for Pakistan/Afghanistan if America left today would you be happy.

Dear belly,

I will reply to your latest post when I get home but I did need to pull you up on one matter.

You seemed to think I owe you an apology for saying AGIR is SPQR.

I think it is this exact sort of blindness to the obvious that let's you take the position you do on the war crime that are these drone strikes.

Just go look at the history of both. AGIR appears to get suspended for a month for being naughty and SPQR pops up a week into the suspension. Unlike any newbie he gets stuck right into the fray. Other things made it pretty obvious we were dealing with AGIR one of which you pointed out.

I was hoping that when AGIR returned from suspension then he would have had the good grace to retire SPQR. It doesn't appear to be happening.

In the unlikely event I am wrong you will get an apology.

*Religious extremism only takes hold when a society is on it's knees*

Not so, Csteele. Many of the extremist religious are indeed quite
well educated and wealthy. Zawahiri is a doctor. bin Laden
inherited hundreds of millions from his veyr rich father.

Many of the religious extremists in London, come from well to do
families. They still want to overthrow the Govt.

It just seems that within every society, there are some people
prone to it and they take their zealotary to the limits.

The Taliban survive, not because they are popular, but because if
you don't agree with them, you get shot.

Fear is the driving factor.

Let the Taliban stand at the next elections and we'll see how they
go. But they won't, rather preferring to threaten anyone with death,
if they dare vote.

Many Afghans assist the Taliban for another reason. They know that
at some time the coalition forces will leave. Most likely the
Taliban will take over again and if they don't assist the Taliban
now, then at that point they will be chopped liver.

So they play a double game to survive. There were many Afghans forced
to assist the Taliban. The moment that the Northern Alliance made
progress, they changed uniforms and fought for them. The other
thing is that many need to make a living, so they join whatever army
has money to pay them.

The main targe for the drones, are the Arabs. They would think
twice before moving around freely outside, certainly during the day.

@ CSteele,

/// AGIR appears to get suspended for a month for being naughty and SPQR pops up a week into the suspension…Other things made it pretty obvious we were dealing with AGIR one of which you pointed out. ///

Sooo! things are not always as they appear to be, eh?
If you were behind the drone camera you would have said FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!
And you would have killed poor SPQR instead of AGIR!—what a travesty that would have been!

(“war criminals” indeed -- there but for the grace of God go you!)

Actually to be truthful—and I always am ---I baited you a bit.
I knew the spelling of “ a liiiittle!” was trademark AGIR
(Just as the Taliban dress as women –then cry foul).

Lucky for you I’ve been busy campaigning against the forces of darkness on other fronts and I left poor Yabby and Belly like good Horatio's holding the bridge, so to speak. And what a good job they have done!

Dear SPQR,

This is very easily resolved since you have committed to always being truthful. Just two simple questions if I may.

Have you posted on the OLO forum under any other user name?

Was one of these ALGOREisRICH?