NP Afghanistan

[jbor]

1. The Taliban's propaganda is that the international forces are at war with
the Afghani people. This is absolutely false. Can't you see how this
propaganda breeds anger and fear? How the anger and fear mount when this
despicable misinformation is being propagated by cranks in the West as well?
How *your* propaganda is working to escalate the refugee crisis, to enlist
support for Osama? 

Did you actually read what those leaflets which the U.S. planes dropped were
saying to the Afghani people? We're on their side.

2. No-one wants Afghani refugees to starve this winter: that's not the
intention. It hasn't happened, it isn't likely to happen, and it's
ridiculous to argue as if it has happened. But how can you just dismiss the
barbarity and mass murders which *have* happened there, now that the current
situation has brought these to our attention? How heartless are you? The
sooner the Taliban regime is put down the better for everyone.

If you've got a more humane solution -- *any* solution -- let's hear it.

best



barbara100 at jps.net wrote:

> Will it make you feel better knowing what 'evil' bastards the Taliban are
> when you think of their millions starving and freezing this winter? It won't
> make me feel any better. Especially in light of the fact that a few short
> years ago they were welcomed to Washington as guests of Unocal. Or that the US
> government gave them millions of dollars in foreign aide.
> So they skinned a few folks. It's grim and disgusting, but is it worse than
> starving to death a million?  Could their 'evil'ways ever be justification for
> killing off so many?
> Did you read the Logic of War?  Can you imagine? More than 200 million people
> killed in war in a short 100 years. How could we call it anything but insane?
> 
> 
> 
> Original Message:
> -----------------
> From: jbor jbor at bigpond.com
> Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 08:59:45 +1000
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: Re: NP Afghanistan
> 
> 
> millison at online-journalist.com wrote:
> 
>> Now, voices all over the world -- if not our own media
>> here in the US -- are trying to tell us about the terror and suffering that
>> we are causing at the other end of the rainbow, in Afghanistan.
> 
> "We"???
> 
> The Taliban regime is 'ethnic cleansing' minority Hazara, Uzbek and Tajik
> communities. Civilians are burnt alive, whipped with electric cable and
> mutilated with knives and bayonets. Some are skinned and their bodies put on
> public display as a warning. Massacres are common and Taliban fighters are
> said to sometimes daub themselves in their victims' blood before praying.
> 
> http://www.smh.com.au/news/specials/intl/refugees/index.html
> 
>> How far might the world be
>> from a nuclear confrontation similar to that which is said to have made
>> such a strong impression on Pynchon in the early 60s?
> 
> About 40 years.
> 
> best
>