RUSSIA WILL GIVE AFGHAN OPPOSITION ARMS SUPPLIES AND MILITARY EQUIPMENT -- PUTIN

Reuters | Monday, September 24, 2001

[JohnHuang2]

No details yet.

[smolensk]

TRUST ME, I'd rather be 'Red' than 'Taliban'.

[spunkets]

I'm sending my request for a MIG 29 and a HIND right away.

[bluetoad]

This is a smart move for Putin.

They get to sell arms (good business savvy)to Anti-Taliban Forces, and they are on the correct side of world oppinion.

Capitalism at last...

[AMMON-CENTRIST]

I see the War of Gog is at hand.

[Stavka2]

You and your BS Cold War rhetoric Mr. Brzyvski. Should Russia still be taken apart into more managable pieces...oh Cold Warrior...or should you be buried on the ash heap of history along with all the other "great" leaders that never adapted? You damn well know that was always BS. Russia went into Afghan for the same Reason that the US is now going in, to fight the yearly migrations of psychoes.

[ChaseR]

Good post blue.

[Pilsner]

Are you two nuts? Russia had Afghanistan. It didn't work out very well. While I'm sure they would love to see it reduced to rubble (further, anyway) you can't seriously think they want to go through an occupation again.

Russia fears that the Taliban will export their brand of Islamic extremist government to the "Ickystans," the gaggle of Muslim majority (or close to it) nations that sprang up south of Russia when the Soviet Union crumbled. By aiding the Northern Alliance Russia weakens the Taliban and keeps their focus in Afghanistan -- the fact that this time around we are happy to see Russian Bear sticking his paw into Afghan affairs is just icing on the cake.

[steve-b]

This would be the perfect time to discover evidence of an intelligence extraterrestrial civilization, just so the Taliban can declare a jihad against them too.

[Stavka2]

Don't you guys always see the end of the world in everything, and when ever it doesn't come to bare, you all don't even break stride and go straight to the next prediction. For the most part, all the Bible thumpers' credibility has long been shot. You guys even had a wacko on TV who predicted every show that Rapture was at hand...15 years later and still waiting... Seems all the literal Bible interperters always seem to miss the little quote that goes something like this: "Do not attempt to predict the end, for it will sneak up on you like a thief in the night." To bad, it's good advice.

[Stavka2]

I heard tell that the Taliban is about to take on the other evil of all time for a mutual Jihad/hate feast: Scientology... all run in fear for the Ultimate Jihad Fighting Championship...Travolta vs Bin Ladin....

[patent]

I agree. They would be happy to remove the Taliban, but they aren't looking to purchase any new real estate.

patent

[AMMON-CENTRIST]

I pray to God they don't use the equipment against America.

[Stavka2]

Judging from the history of the last 10 years, the US is just as likely to us its equipment against Russia, first.

[jennyp]

And ppaul, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe Afghanistan has any ports.

(pmfji...) No, but it would bring Russian influence closer to the Indian Ocean.

It seems Afghanistan has been "a goat caught between 2 lions" for a long time.

[patent]

(pmfji...)

How dare you respond to a public comment on a public forum! (I had no idea what pmfji meant, I had to look it up. No apologies necessary)

No, but it would bring Russian influence closer to the Indian Ocean.

LOL. Russia can’t afford it. They are struggling to control Chechnya from the Islamic terrorists there. They don’t want to be fighting again in Afghanistan again, much less in Pakistan or Iran as well, which is what it would take to gain access to the Indian Ocean. They have enough on their hands with one group/nation/whatever. They don't need any more fun. They just don’t have the means today unless they truly were forced to do it to survive.

It seems Afghanistan has been "a goat caught between 2 lions" for a long time.

Today that’s a bit more like a goat caught between 2 large graying tabby cats and a growing pack of rats with very sharp little teeth.

patent  +AMDG

[jimt]

Personally, I think it's a great time to forge a much closer relationship with Russia - like offering NATO membership.

[mikhailovich]

In 1999 an American businessman told me on a flight leaving Moscow how the United States was incorrectly scoffing at Russia's military action in Chechnya. Looks like he was right.

[JeremyM]

That's hilarious. "Mother of all Jihads" is a classic!