I saw an interview with an interesting guy on C-span. An ex-green beret and also ex-CIA operative. He said the main problem with the Northern Alliance from our view is that they are almost exclusively made up a minority Afgan tribe. The Taliban are of the majority tribe. Pakistan strongly objects to the Northern Alliance. Turns out the Pasthuns? are the tribe of the Taliban and are also a sizeable group in Pakistan. Given the millenium old inter-tribal hatred it doesn't work too well to back a minority tribe. The US is going to try to revive an old king who is living in Rome and is of the majority, Pasthun? tribe that the Taliban comes from.
On that subject, glynch, earlier today I read that the northern alliance would accept a future government/rulership that involved a return of the exiled king. I've been looking for a link but I can't find it where I saw it this morning on msnbc. Anyway, that puts an interesting twist on things. If the old king were re-seated, he might be enough to make the Pakistanis happy with it.
F.D. Khan, Nice thread. Does the following thread agree with your outlook? It does seem to agree with you about keeping the US forces to minimal levels. <A HREF="http://www.stratfor.com/home/0109252150.htm">War Plan: Part 2: The Afghan Theater of Operations</A> Mango
Good article, Mango. Also in line with the expectation of the green beret/CIA agent on C-Span. Not very exciting, though, as the article says for those who want quick results and /or large scale warfare. Interestingly no mention of expanding the war to Iraq and other countries. Sounds good to me, if combined with a reevaluation of unecessary US policies that cause most of the Arab World to oppose us.
