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http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/noam-chomsky-we-caused-chaos-middle-east?akid=13094.294211.I6Avz8&rd=1&src=newsletter1036189&t=3
The Reaganites pretended they didn't know, but of course
they did, so that they could keep pouring funds in. The other thing that
they were doing was radically "Islamizing" Pakistani society. So, the
Saudis are not only the most extreme radical fundamentalists in the
Islamic world and our main allies, but also a kind of missionary, and
they have plenty of money. They have other wealthy sectors too, but they
pour money into building mosques, Quranic schools, and so on. That's
where a lot of the Taliban came from.
So yes, we had a big role in it - plus, it's worse than that. I mean if you take a look at the serious history after the Russians withdrew, they left behind the Najibullah government,
which was pretty reasonable in many ways. In fact, for women, at least
in Kabul and places like that, they're way better off than they've been
any time since the Russians.
And
the Najibullah government, which was pretty popular, maintained itself
until two events took place. 1) The Russians withdrew, pulled out, ended
support, and 2) The US maintained support for the mujahideen, who are
mostly religious extremists and fundamentalists - guys who throw acid at
women if they aren't wearing the right clothes and so on. And they
devastated Kabul, they practically destroyed it. They took over. Their
rule was so awful that when the Taliban came in, they were actually
welcomed.
Well, that's part of history too, you know?
Plus a lot that's happened since isn't very pretty. So yeah, if you want
to study the education of the Taliban, these are things to do. And it's
not that we can't read things, like you can read the story of Malala
Yousafzai, which is very evocative.
She talks about the warlord society and so on, which the US instituted.
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