The whole thing was vitally interesting. I was particularly interested when Blumenthal was talking about terrorism and how he singled out Pakistan and Uzbekistan for not being helpful, indeed, complicit with terrorists. I was fascinated with that because right now both countries recieve aid from the U.S., and are the most dubious of allies, to say the least. There is plenty of question to whether Pakistani President/General Pervez Musharaf is even in control of his country or not. The ISI, which has al-quaida and 9-11 connections, certainly works interchangeably with terror groups, now whether Musharraf can do or just won't do anything about it is a big problem that needs to be addressed. He is a damn savvy politician though. His latest Kashmir move was a brilliant little stroke of fake diplomacy. Now, Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov is just a problem waiting to happen. He regularly tortures polical prisoners, has no problem with supporting terror, yet because of his proximity to the Caspian Sea the U.S. is giving him undue power and influence. We are setting up military bases there as we speak. Just wait for a new Saddam to emerge in Central Asia in the next ten years. Karimov is as good a bet as anybody to be vilified next. We give him cash now, but the PNAC boys will want to take him out later. See also, Azerbajian and Aliyev, Ilham. I'm bordering on obsession when it comes to watching Central Asia become the new "Middle East." Mistake after mistake after mistake.
But, yeah, that is just one little strand you could go off into. The whole Blumenthal interview is a must read.
http://www.truthout.com/
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
