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Rival alliance offers help
Washington Times ^ | 9/20/01 | Tom Carter

Posted on 09/19/2001 11:20:14 PM PDT by kattracks

Edited on 07/12/2004 3:47:07 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

The Northern Alliance, the remnants of the Soviet-era mujahideen militia still fighting Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, is offering the United States 30,000 battle-hardened warriors to help locate the man blamed for last week's terrorist attacks.

"The international community has no chance of hunting down Osama bin Laden without us," said Haron Amin, the alliance representative in Washington.


(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
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1 posted on 09/19/2001 11:20:14 PM PDT by kattracks
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To: kattracks
Whatever's going on between our administration and them, is of course being kept strictly on the hush-hush. Whatever we do, we don't want to get stabbed in the back if we can avoid it.
2 posted on 09/19/2001 11:23:41 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: jmurphy4413,AGaviator,JeepInMazar
Do they still control the strategic former Soviet AFB at Bagram, 60km north of Kabul?

If yes, that may be the key.

3 posted on 09/19/2001 11:24:48 PM PDT by Travis McGee
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To: Travis McGee
Do they still control the strategic former Soviet AFB at Bagram, 60km north of Kabul?

They did the last I heard. But any deals should be made with local commanders on a case-by-case basis. There are some really unsavory characters on this side too.

Massoud's "cover story" for how he got his revenues was that he was taking emeralds out of Afghanistan and selling them in Russia. That's totally absurd. What's the world market for emeralds, anyway? And in Russia, of all places. His people were and still are smuggling heroin through the Central Asian Republics.

As for the claim the NA has "infiltrated" the Taliban, highly unlikely. You'd think with such knowledge, Russia's backing, and a "charismatic military genius" they would control more than the northernmost pocket of the country.

The last time the US took sides in a tribal war was when it pursued the Aidid clan in Mogadishu. We must make sure that we are acting in our own interests, and not needlessly polarizing the population along tribal lines. If the NA has popular support in some areas, fine. If they don't, then some other local system will have to be worked out.

4 posted on 09/19/2001 11:34:05 PM PDT by AGAviator
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To: AGAviator
I just saw a terrific one hour film on PBS tonight called "Captives of the Warlords" (summer 2001) by Arthur Kent, with much "secret camera" video smuggled out of Taliban areas. He also crossed over to the NA side. You would really enjoy it.
5 posted on 09/20/2001 12:01:08 AM PDT by Travis McGee
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To: kattracks
trust, but verify!
6 posted on 09/20/2001 12:02:49 AM PDT by rockfish59
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

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