Boy, I hope the dinner these three are having on Thursday proves to be fruitful. It's not often that I wish to be an insect, but I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear what it said.
I must admit, I have wondered why it is such a political conundrum regarding the Afghan, Pakistani border. I mean if they know and we know that Osama is hiding in a crack between the two countries why can't we just get in there and blow him away? Maybe I am just showing my naievte,but can't it be that simple?
Who exactly are these tribal leaders who are harboring terrorists (Taliban, more specifically)and causing us, the Afghani's and Pakistani's to sit on our hands? Why isn't there better cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan to stop the terrorism?
Karzai directed some strong words towards Musharraf regarding this very issue yesterday at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars:
...that there will be no peace in the region until nations stopped using religious extremism as a means of promoting policy.Seems to me that the Taliban still has it's hooks in Afghanistan and won't let it go. The violence just keeps continuing.
"For all of us in the world to be safer, we must remove the need for groups, organizations or state entities -- and here I am beginning to be very careful in my remarks -- of reliance on religious radicalism as instruments of policy," he said.
"The increased attacks on Afghanistan and the cross-border activities; the loss of U.S., Canadian soldiers; the burning of mosques and attacks on children ... is the continuing of reliance on radicalism as an instrument of policy," Mr. Karzai said.
Because...
yesterday in the southern city of Kandahar, where two men on a motorbike fatally shot Safia Ama Jan, a longtime women's rights advocate who had run an underground school for girls while the Taliban was in power. The Taliban had outlawed education for girls.How horrible. But until this source of this hatred is abolished, it will just continue. Karzai points the finger to Musharraf and says:
...the terrorists afflicting his country get their start in religious schools, or madrassas, in Pakistan.Read the rest of what Karzai said here.
"Young, poor, unaware, uneducated children from the poorest of families are taken and preached hatred against me, against you, against any other person" in these schools, said Mr. Karzai, who urged Gen. Musharraf to shut down the madrassas and imprison those who teach there.
"Military action in Afghanistan alone is not going to free us of terrorism. Going to the source of terrorism -- where they get trained, motivated, financed and deployed -- is necessary now," he said.
"They are told: 'Go kill yourself in Afghanistan. Commit suicide and kill as many internationals and Afghans as you can, and the instant you are dead you will be in heaven.' To a boy of 7, keep preaching that until he is 14, and you will have a suicide bomber," Mr. Karzai said.
Wise words. I hope these men will reach an agreement for the greater good.
I'll be praying for Bush, this will be a very important to his presidency and the safety of our world.
technorati tags: Musharrah, Karzai, Bush, Afghanistan, Pakistan
