NP - The making of a hawk

[barbara100 at jps.net]

Thanks, David.  It's a very interesting piece.  It took me all morning, but I got through it.  I don't have much energy for it myself, but I'd be interested to know how some of our Vietnam vets feel about it. My only comments are a couple of comparisons between what David Talbot says and what Noam Chomsky and others have said:  

David Talbot--
And in Afghanistan, the apocalyptic master plan of the al-Qaida terror network was shattered by America's devastatingly accurate bombing campaign, along with the medieval theocracy that had thrown a cloak of darkness over the country.

Several recent reports--
Upwards of 4000 dead Afghan civilians since October 7, 2001; and 

Afghanistan's new justice minister (as reported recently by Noam Chomsky)--
"There will be some changes from the time of the Taliban. For example, the Taliban used to hang the victim's body in public for four days. We will only hang the body for a short time, say 15 minutes." Judge Ahamat Ullha Zarif added that some new location would be found for the regular public executions, not the Sports Stadium. "Adulterers, both male and female, would still be stoned to death, Zarif said, `but we will use only small stones'," so that those who confess might be able to run away; others will be "stoned to death," as before.16

David Talbot--
And yet in this case the majority of the country, after 20 years of fighting and tyranny, turned out to be more than ready to be relieved of its agony, even under the shuddering impact of American bombs.

Noam Chomsky--
We might begin with the gathering of Afghan leaders in Peshawar, some exiles, some who trekked across the border from within Afghanistan, all committed to overthrowing the Taliban regime. It was "a rare display of unity among tribal elders, Islamic scholars, fractious politicians, and former guerrilla commanders," the New York Times reported. They unanimously "urged the U.S. to stop the air raids," appealed to the international media to call for an end to the "bombing of innocent people," and "demanded an end to the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan." They urged that other means be adopted to overthrow the hated Taliban regime, a goal they believed could be achieved without slaughter and destruction.21


Original Message:
-----------------
From: David Morris fqmorris at hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 12:17:48 -0600
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: NP - The making of a hawk


>From Kuwait to Kosovo to Kabul, American firepower has been on the right 
side of history. The odyssey of a former dove.

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2002/01/03/hawk/index.html



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