Bush did everything to harness the Taliban? I don't think so., Read this

[aprilgirl]

Bush's Faustian Deal With the Taliban
By Robert Scheer
Published May 22, 2001 in the Los Angeles Times


Enslave your girls and women, harbor anti-U.S. terrorists, destroy every vestige of civilization in your homeland, and the Bush administration will embrace you. All that matters is that you line up as an ally in the drug war, the only international cause that this nation still takes seriously.

That's the message sent with the recent gift of $43 million to the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan, the most virulent anti-American violators of human rights in the world today. The gift, announced last Thursday by Secretary of State Colin Powell, in addition to other recent aid, makes the U.S. the main sponsor of the Taliban and rewards that "rogue regime" for declaring that opium growing is against the will of God. So, too, by the Taliban's estimation, are most human activities, but it's the ban on drugs that catches this administration's attention.

Never mind that Osama bin Laden still operates the leading anti-American terror operation from his base in Afghanistan, from which, among other crimes, he launched two bloody attacks on American embassies in Africa in 1998.

[daveskilt]

1. wow - link I can send on?

and welcome to DU all the way to you in UGAland!

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Link:

http://www.robertscheer.com/1_natcolumn/01_columns/052201.htm

[daveskilt]

3. bless you!

[radwriter0555]

4. er you didn't see the deal where Unocal hosted the Taliban Tour USA '97??

That was wild.

A six week tour of the USA, hosted by bush pals Unocal.

Google it.

[Nashyra]

5. What the hell are the Dems on this commission

asking? Why are some of these articles and proof of what these assholes were doing not coming out.

[radwriter0555]

7. the taliban was irrelevent regarding bin laden. in fact, according to the

FBI obl had nothing to DO with 9.11 as evidenced by the FBI most wanted website here....

http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/terrorists/terubl.htm

"Usama Bin Laden is wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. These attacks killed over 200 people. In addition, Bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world."

No mention at all of 9.11 by the FBI...

The taliban were not plotting against the USA. They wanted nothing to DO with the USA.

Their ties to al queda were tenuous at best, with some taliban affiliated, but not all taliban associated with al queda.

Leading the commission down the taliban path is a total waste of time and a decoy, distract and deflection.

[aprilgirl]

8. Some Dems hated Clinton as much as some Republicans

Some are not really Dems but in the clothing. Wouldn't you rather have the questions asked by the 9/11 widows and families?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. Unocal, probably a Cheney commission guest of the WH

around the time of the 43 million gift to the Taliban. Of course if he would release the names we'd know.

[BigBigBear]

9. Careful with this one

If you look closely, you'll see that the $43 million grant was not provided to the Taliban per se, but to relief agencies working in Afghanistan, as part of a Clinton-started aid initiative - Powell was pointed about this NOT goping to Mullar Omar in his announcement.

Having said that, he did speak approvingly of their anti-poppy efforts at the time, and the grant was seen as a friendly gesture. A carrot, if you will.

[buycitgo]

10. you're right about that, of course

BUT, had the money gone to them during Clinton, can you imagine the outcry from pugs, ala aid to Aristide, or any other regime they didn't approve of?

you KNOW they'd be screaming that, like Saddam, the Taliban would only pocket the money intended for the poor farmers, furthering their evildoing agenda

but, you're right about that money, and it won't work.........

unless, unLESS, like the pugs, the DEMS just repeat the charge over and over and over and over, until people start BELIEVING it, forcing the pugs to make a little-heard defense

[Trajan]

11. True ... BUT ..

Pursuing such rapport with the Taliban, when they were clearly aiding and abetting Al Qaeda and OBL, shows that there was LITTLE priority placed on STOPPING Al Qaeda anytime soon ...

This fits in well with the Pipeline Politics that the Bushco buttheads were pursuing at the time ...

[BigBigBear]

12. That's a tough case to argue

You have to assert that the money actually benefitted the regime. It's a difficult argument to make, although technically not impossible.

What I am most disappointed about was that there was zero followup on Brisard and Dasquie's investigations about the Taliban in DC March 2001, at the behest of Powell's State Department. To me, that's the smoking gun regarding Bush playing footsy with the Taliban prior to 9/11 - I suspect this will not come out in the 9/11 hearings, but it should. I think Brisard and Dasquie should be called to testify, I'm fairly certain they would.