Muslims have been violent aggressors against their neighbors ever since the time of Muhammed. It's the basic nature of their religion, which Muhammed seems to have consciously designed as a weapon for control and conquest.
There was a temporary respite when Europe shot ahead of the Muslim world with scientific advances, but it's evident that the present wave of Muslim terrorism has been building up since the Second World War.
It may be that Carter and the elder Bush miscalculated, not by arming the Muslims in Afghanistan, but by letting the Saudis and Pakistanis persuade them to arm the wrong groups. We should have backed Massoud, not Hekmatyar.
But we still would be much where we are now in any case. The worst failures were not Carter's activities in Afghanistan but his stupid interference in Iran, bringing the Mullahs to power, followed by clinton's failure to react to a whole string of Muslim attacks on us, and his assistance to the Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Our worst failure was weakness in the face of the Muslim threat. And it still is, on the part of liberal politicians, opinion leaders, and media.
"Our worst failure was weakness in the face of the Muslim threat. And it still is, on the part of liberal politicians, opinion leaders, and media."
Come on? are you telling me that a whole nation of 1200 million are a threat to the US?
"It may be that Carter and the elder Bush miscalculated, not by arming the Muslims in Afghanistan, but by letting the Saudis and Pakistanis persuade them to arm the wrong groups. We should have backed Massoud, not Hekmatyar."
WOW!! Excellent analysis, Cicero. Your understanding of the complex geopolitics in that region is matched by VERY FEW here.
You may want to see post #32 for a similar take (mine :) on the Northern Aliiance and Pakistan's/Saudi Arabia's respectie roles.