The Taliban

[Richard]

Hi Bobby,
It encourages to me to find people who are willing to investigate a situation, people, religion, etc. rather than forming opinions based solely on newsbites and uninformed public comment.

Yes, it is interesting how involved our government was in bringing the Taliban to power.  Same story with Sadam Hussein in Iraq.  One must always seriously consider the wisdom of choosing one evil over another.

Richard

[bobbyV]

Richard and Kappa thanks for your perspective on the book.  I think it contains some much needed info that ordinary Americans need to be aware of -- it shows if we sow to the whirlwind we will reap the whirlwind.  Further I think it should cause us to consider seriously the consequences of our economic rape of other countries that has been going on for nearly a century.  We have a slight opportunity now to make a difference in the lives of Afgans and it will be a sad thing if we do not -- the same is true for Pakistan. Yes we need to be "rooting" out terrorism but we also need to keep it from being planted in the first place.  We ought to be building schools, roads, showing them how to use the land to farm better (instead of growing opium). They need to see hope and a future.  This by the way would probably open up doors for evangelism.

His Mark +
Bobby Valentine
[a href=\"mailto:bvalentine@dixie-net.com\"]bvalentine@dixie-net.com[/a]

[bobbyV]

Bob thanks for reading my post.  I believe you will Rashid's book very informative.  I kept thinking to myself as I read the book: If only our politicians were committed to doing the right thing rather than following the almighty dollar our world just might be a different place.  Of course I was also forced to recall David Lipscomb's attitude that Civil Government is itself evil because it seeks autonomous rule without God -- he may have been right.

His Mark +
Bobby Valentine
[a href=\"mailto:bvalentine@dixie-net.com\"]bvalentine@dixie-net.com[/a]

[bobbyV]

The Taliban? Who are these folks, where did they come from and what is their agenda?

To be honest with you (and I am ashamed to admit it) prior to 9/11 I had never heard of the Taliban. It is hard to find info these days that is not full of sensationalism and other less than helpful things.

However, I recently (last week) discovered a book simply entitled TALIBAN by Ahmed Rashid published by Yale University Press, 2000.

I was interested because Yale is not a fly by nite publisher. Second I was intrigued because the book was published nearly TWO YEARS prior to 9/11. Third the book was written by a non-westerner. Fourth the book was written by someone who has lived and worked in Afganistan for 20 covering the state for the Daily Telegraph and Eastern Economic Review.

I have finished the book and Rashid has done a marvelous job. The book is grounded in a great deal of research but also in years of living with these folks. It is not a knee jerk reaction and thrown together rather this is a well written and engaging piece of work.

The thing that amazes me is how much American involvement there was in bringing these folks to power in the first place. Also the role of the oil industry and etc. There is a great chapter on Osama Bin Laden (and this I say again was written before 9/11).

I do not understand our own government sometimes (if ever). This is a book that can provide a great deal of clarity to a very muddy area of the world. The Taliban were crooks and criminal from the get go and all in the name of some legalistic and extreme vision of Sharia. Through the book you also get to see the common folk of Afganistan -- a country with a wonderful cultural history that dates back thousands of years before there was ever a USA.

This is a book concerned folks should read. Rashid has also published a newer book that I bought today called "Jihad." It looks like it will also be a very informative read.

Praying that God Blesses the world not just America,
Bobby Valentine
[a href=\"mailto:bvalentine@dixie-net.com\"]bvalentine@dixie-net.com[/a]

[kappa]

Hi Bobby,

I read the book last fall and really enjoyed it.  I think the thing that impressed me the most was that no one came out looking good in the end, not the UN, not Russia, not the USA (to say nothing of the Taliban itself).

Anyway, I'm glad to see that the book is getting into more people's hands.

Best,
Kappa.

[nerdneh]

Bobby, interesting analysis. I need to read this book. Thanks!