US/UK Launch Attacks on Afghanistan

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Late this afteroon, circa 5pm, cruise missile strikes were launched on or around the major cities of Afghanistan.

Hold on to your hats!

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001

Answers

A Prayer

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001

I still reckon its clever attacking Afghanistan with a submarine - and hitting it.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001

I saw Bin Laden's "response" on the news - a video-taped claiming America will never be safe. Is this the man, who according to the Taliban, has no means of communicating with the outside world so could not possibly have been involved in the events of 11 September?

I only hope the people of Afghanistan bring this to an end quickly themselves.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001


I just watched the Panorama programme on Afghanistan. It showed archives from John Simpson from his previous reports when the Mudjihadeen took control after the war with the Russians and the subsequent rise of the Taliban to overthrow them.

After seeing that, I have to say it is difficult to disagree with Berlesconi's comments of last week. Clearly he was not very diplomatic in his remarks and was too general. But I fail to see how anybody could think that those aggressors portrayed in the programme were civilised.

And before anybody jumps down my throat, I know war isn't a particularly civilised activity and I realise the West bankrolled half of them. But I still was left with a very strong feeling that the sooner the Taliban and the terrorists they are harbouring are defeated, the better.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001


Apparently the public of Afghanistan have turned on the Taliban and are fighting them in the streets. There is no way that the Taliban will survive this, but my worry is what countries such as Iraq will respond like.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001


I'm still furious at the channel that was supposed to show the US WCQ, switched the match to another channel after the attack started so I've now got a 2hr tape of attack coverage instead of the US unexpectedly qualifying for the WC today(it appeared we were going down to the last match in Nov), on home soil, with Joe-Max Moore scoring both goals on his former home soil of Foxboro where he is still the most popular player to have pulled on a Revs jersey.

Never again will I go out and have a life and rely on US television when such an important match is played. :-|

By any chance, did anyone in the STates tape it? *pathetic whining and begging*

Knew the attack was coming, but why today?! grrrrrr

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001


Afghanistan will remain the hot spot it's been for years. A feature of the Panorama programme was interviews with ordinary Afghans regarding the growing of heroin poppies.

Their outlook seemed to be that they were well aware of the misery caused by heroin, but since they suffer constant poverty, and nobody gives a toss about them, why should they about anybody else ? The opium trade, and various other smuggling activities keep them alive.

Can't really argue against that approach. I don't suppose any of the growers have ended up millionaires.

I realise that this is a minor consideration now that the place is being blown to bits but it just struck me as being something I hadn't considered from that point of view before.

Maybe we should have tried some sort of unconditional aid which could have been allowed to speak for itself, before trying to bomb some sense into them.

I think binladen is long gone now - probably holed up with saddam. There's a thought, two for the price of one, and another scab ripe for the picking. Might as well go down with all flags flying.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001


I watched the programme last night too, and it left me feeling utterly depressed. I get the overwhelming feeling that if the horror of the twin towers hadn`t happened, we would not be overly concerned about ridding Afghanistan of the Taliban. It looks like another desolate area of the third world where the so called civilised world have been happy to play some kind of long distance strategic noughts and crosses.

I don`t know what other assistance might have been given to them prior to September 11th, other than modern weapons. I would really like to believe that ourselves and the USA have had agendas other than simply military on the table, but it certainly didn`t seem like it from John Snow`s report. The only humanitarian action reported there was some mine clearing.

Having been one of the biggest moaners on here about media interference and unbalanced reporting, I actually think John Snow`s report was incredible. This man seems to be genuinely concerned for the ordinary people of Afghanistan, and disturbing as it was, I needed that insight to help put this whole sorry thing in perspective.

I`ve just deleted a real ranting paragraph. Suffice it to say, I thank the Lord that I am not a woman, or worse still a mother in that country. My insides twist into a knot at the thought, and yet again I`m starkly reminded just how fortunate privilaged and protected my life is.

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2001


I have to admit I found the Panorama programme extremely harrowing, and finally had to switch it off when they got to the effect of a landmine on a poor child's legs. How desperately, desperately depressing.

The tragedy, and equally depressing, aspect of places like Afghanistan is the part the various superpowers, including ourselves, have played in contributing to the misery and ultimately, of course, the dissidence that forments terrorist action.

It seems to be sadly true that we only take a real interest in the consequences of earlier meddling when self-interest rears it's head again.

We must try to learn from this latest sorry mess - and whether we want to hear it or not, Bin Liner was correct when he said in his pre-recorded statement last night that the long-term failure of the world community to resolve the situation of the Palestinian people is the root cause of the current problem.

Unless this situation is addressed with similarly deadly intent, the problem with islamic terrorism will persist - no matter how much ammunition we throw at it.

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2001


Clarky - I tend to agree with you wrt the Palestinian problem. Maybe, just maybe the powers that be can get their heeds together and sort it out. It will require a huge compromise on all sides and there isn't an easy answer, but (like N Ireland) I can not believe there isn't enough room on this planet for everybody. I know the two can't live easily side by side and relocation is not acceptable (imagine ie we had to be relocated to the banks of the River Where - and that's nowhere near the same).

If any good can come out of September 11th, then that could be it. But what message would it leave for other extremists? For that reason, I think it unlikely to happen.

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2001



......possibly the best suggestion I've heard - albeit frivolously - was that Israel be relocated to New Hampshire!

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2001

Re the Palestinian issue - is it not true that when Clinton seemed to be on the brink of a breakthrough a couple of years back, some of Bin Laden's mates bombed two American Embassies in Africa, demonstrating that they largely didn't give a toss about Palestine and were simply concerned with increasing terror?

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2001

I think Jacko, that the US embassy bombings were an attempt (largely successful) to scupper the talks which were making some small progress towards a compromise. Extremists like Bin Laden view any negotiated compromise with Israel as an even worse situation than the present one and a threat to their aim of the creation of an Islamic sub-continent.

-- Anonymous, October 09, 2001

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