Posted on 07/08/2002 5:08:24 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Jul 08, 2002 (The Canadian Press via COMTEX) -- Vice-President Abdul Qadir was buried here Sunday with full military honours one day after he was gunned down in an attack that Afghans fear may bring new instability to a country struggling to build peace after decades of war. Continues
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al-Qaeda -- America and Afghanistan's Common Enemy
News Saturday that Afghan Vice President Haji Abdul Qadir had been assassinated touched off a wave of excitement in media and Democrat circles. Qadir, one of five vice presidents, was gunned down Saturday by two unknown assailants just outside his offices at the Ministry of Public Works in Kabul. The gunmen, armed with Kalashnikovs, sprayed 36 rounds into Qadir's truck, killing him, his driver and wounding two other passengers. The terrorists reportedly fled in a white taxi and are still at large. The 10 "security" guards on duty at the time were arrested for failure to do their job. Indeed, the gunmen apparently were allowed to skedaddle from the scene unencumbered.
The media, yearning for an issue -- any issue -- to bludgeon the popular President, wasted no time, plunging headlong into orgies of luscious second-guessing/speculation. 'Might this be the beginning of the end for stability in Afghanistan?', they wondered wishfully. 'Is civil war just around the corner?'
For ailing Democrats queasy about prospects in November, chaos and pandemonium in Afghanistan is just what the doctor ordered. Party leaders know a good part of Bush's sustained popularity -- most polls peg his job approval rating at or near 75% -- draws upon U.S. military and political success in Afghanistan. To Democrat strategists, the eruption of turmoil and upheaval in Afghanistan would not be unwelcomed. Indeed, to many of them, it'd be a dream-come-true, politically. Ferment there would undercut public confidence in Bush, drive down his poll numbers, allowing Democrats, at long last, a chance to go on the offensive.
Er, not so fast, Democrats.
Juxtaposed against another momentous event, namely, civilian causalties in Uruzgan province during a U.S. bombing raid there last Monday against suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda holdouts, Qadir's assassination, paradoxically, is likely to have a settling effect, much to the chagrin of Democrats and the media.
According to locals, scores were killed in the air raid, when revelers attending a wedding fired their guns skyward in celebration. The "celebratory firing" was mistaken by U.S. forces for hostilities, they insist. American officials, while acknowledging civilian deaths in the raid, maintain U.S. forces reacted to hostile fire emanating from the ground. Moreover, they show that claims by locals don't hold up under closer scrutiny, noting inconsistencies in the amount of blood detected at the scene with the body count alleged. Interestingly enough, Uruzgan just 'happens' to be former Taliban leader Mullah Omar's native province.
Only two days before Qadir was savagely murdered, Kabul was swamped with anti-American protests, the first of its kind since the toppling of the Taliban last November. The organizers were quoted by the Afghan Islamic Press warning Americans ominously of even stronger reaction if bombing mistakes continue.
"We support the operation against al-Qaeda but cannot allow attacks against our people", read one of the banners.
The demonstrations, while peaceful, prompted a gush of liberal media speculation, most of it hopeful the tide of public opinion was turning decisively against America, potentially undermining the U.S. War on Terror itself.
Everything changed last Saturday.
Qadir's brutal assassination serves to remind the people of Afghanistan that al-Qaeda, our common enemy, is still out there -- that now, more than ever, we must remain united in our common cause of defeating this enemy.
Anyway, that's...
My two cents....
"JohnHuang2"
Quagmire fails to appear!
BTW very nice piece of writing--from your lips to God's ear.
Absolutely perfect!
Thanks for putting things in such good perspective.
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