Hi, S_M--

The Taliban is not the legal government of Afghanistan, but it is the group holding the power. Who do we treat with, to whom do we offer aid, if the weasels hold the keys to the henhouse and negotiate on behalf of the chickens? In view of the desperate conditions there, I suspect the Afghanis would need the aid before they could even start to organize a coup.

Also: it is nearly impossible to seal a border, unless the country is very small with extremely open topography (not descriptive of Afghanistan), and even then people will find a way. I refer you to the US border with Mexico, and for a more hostile setting, the borders between eastern and western Europe during the Cold War.

New topic:
American leaders especially, and Americans in general have got to stop saying that we're waging war on Islam. That they say "militant Islam" is not significant. The statement of declaring war on a religion is impolitic and stirs up the fear and anger of the members of that religion. The war is being waged against international terrorism and its state sponsors. The words "Islam", "Islamic" and "Muslim" must be stricken from these public statements.

The discussions of motive that include religious beliefs need to point out, ad nauseam, that the terrorists who identify themselves as Muslim in fact have a very warped view of their religion. I know a lot of Christians who would not appreciate being identified with the Inquisition, the pogroms, and the Salem witch trials. The majority of Muslims are peaceable people. Insults and threats directed at their religion will not keep their friendship.

Regards--
Mary Anne