Article

2004-04-11 Afghanistan/South Asia

Gurkhas rescued Afghan governor from warlord's gunmen

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Posted by Steve White 2004-04-11 12:36:51 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Sounds like Dostum, and others of his ilk, needs a .45 caliber attitude adjustment.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2004-04-11 2:14:03 AM|| 2004-04-11 2:14:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 How many "countries" would our esteemed Afghanistan experts say actually exist within the borders of this particular "Yogoslavia of the East" confabulation?

What we have in Afghanistan is, in terms of the real underlying causes, not much different than the situation we have in Iraq: tribal / warlord / feudal society. Can you bring them forward several hundred years in 2 or 10 years? No, certainly not with Islam at the core of their social system. Nothing resists progress quite like Islam, it's singular in this respect, if not unique. So if they're stuck in amber far back in the past and you can't remove the roadblock that keeps them there, Islam, what do you do?

So how many "countries" was that, guys?

Posted by .com 2004-04-11 2:30:12 AM|| 2004-04-11 2:30:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Yeah, this one's going to have to get fixed.

If you mean "fixed" in the veterinary sense, I'm with you all the way.

Posted by Zenster 2004-04-11 5:08:19 AM|| 2004-04-11 5:08:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Dostum was instrumental in defeating the Taliban. He is an Uzbek and I suspect the subtext here is creeping pashtunization of Afghanistan.

Posted by Phil B 2004-04-11 5:16:54 AM|| 2004-04-11 5:16:54 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Dostum isn't a spittle-spewing eye-rolling nut like the Taliban, and that's a plus. He's a hardcore old-time warlord, but one that thinks rationally, and he can be dealt with with carrots and sticks. The Pashtuns are another case...good point, Phil B

Posted by Frank G 2004-04-11 10:15:58 AM|| 2004-04-11 10:15:58 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Anybody else catch the interesting construction of the opening sentence of the second para:

"...Gen Dostum, a renegade adviser to President Hamid Karzai who is armed and funded by America."

Wonder how many readers subconsciously added a comma after "Karzai," making the sentence "Gen Dostum, ..., who is armed and funded by America."
(Or am I just being paranoid?)

Posted by Old Grouch 2004-04-11 3:44:23 PM|| 2004-04-11 3:44:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 OG - Nope - you're right. I read it thrice before I concluded it was just me being picky. A non-kerfuffle, kerfuffle, heh... Or is it?

Posted by .com 2004-04-11 3:48:05 PM|| 2004-04-11 3:48:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 I have a good friend who's an ethnic Gurkha. Nicest guy in the world, but give him an assault rifle and a kukri and tell him to take a ridgeline, baby look out!

Posted by Mike 2004-04-12 6:23:09 AM|| 2004-04-12 6:23:09 AM|| Front Page Top

08:48 Gentle
15:45 Old Grouch
06:55 B
06:45 Phil B
06:23 Zenster
06:23 Mike
06:08 B
01:01 Super Hose
00:57 Super Hose
00:38 Aris Katsaris
00:33 Zenster
00:33 Super Hose
00:24 Super Hose
00:19 Super Hose
00:13 .com
00:10 .com
00:09 mojo
00:07 Jen
00:06 B
00:03 Raj
23:59 .com
23:58 Raj
23:57 Zenster
23:53 Aris Katsaris