Similarities along the Silk Road

The renowned Registan Sq., in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Jamee Mosque in Herat, western Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Game Over?

This way ended Najibullah Ahmadzai after the Soviet withdrawal of Kabul. Will this happen with Hamid Karzai when the NATO moves back?

From The New York Times, 10/30/2008

“KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan government and its allies in the region have begun approaching the Taliban and other insurgent groups with new intensity to test the possibilities for eventual peace talks, Western diplomats and Afghan officials here say.”

“…Security has deteriorated to the point that a growing chorus of Western diplomats, NATO commanders and Afghans has begun to argue that the insurgency cannot be defeated solely by military means. Some officials in Kabul contend that the war against the insurgents cannot be won and are calling for negotiations…”

“…But some officials fear that without a turnaround in the security situation, the Afghan government and the international forces here will not be in a strong bargaining position.”

Zbigniew Brzezinski, Defeated by his Success

When in the first half of 1979 Carter’s hawkish former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski designed the Afghan trap to the Soviets, he never dreamed with a further URSS collapse. He only wished to engage the soviet army in a kind of Viet Nam, meanwhile USA was going ahead in the gulf. That trap was code named "Operation Cyclone".

So, six months before Soviets decided to invade Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arab and the CIA had begun to train mujahideen in neighbor Zia ul-Haq’s Pakistan. As much as the mujahideen are not so prone to have any deal with the "Big Satan", the Stingers, bucks and ammo were funneled to Gulbuddin Hekmayar through the ISI, the Pakistani Secret Services.(1),(2),(4)

The guy who provided the funds to the Robert M. Gates CIA's (from dec/18/2006 US Secretary of Defense) was drawn from the buckle of the Bible Belt, the D-TX Charlie Wilson, a beloved friend of the nicaraguan dictator "Tacho" Somoza, whilst the CIA put Gust Avrakotos(5) in the Pakistani side to distribute ammo and bucks.

Those mujahideen were mainly recruited from the Pashto tribes dwelling in the FATA (Federally Administred Tribal Areas) Pakistan's NW Frontier, but a minority of Arab mujahideen were trained so, in a group called Maktab al-Khadamat (MAK). And guess you who was between them? If you thought about Osama, yes, you’re right.

When the mujahideen that the CIA had trained began to fight in Afghanistan to spur the Soviets, then they had bitten the fishhook and invaded Afghanistan. Ten years later, they had to withdraw and two years later, the URSS plummeted.

Never Brzezinski dreamed so much. The trap’s main aim was only to distract and keep Soviets engaged in dealing with a vietnamese-like guerrillas. So, when he received such gift, he told Le Nouvelle Observateur: “To repent of what? This secret operation has been an excellent idea!”.

But you know how this tale ends: Pashto mujahideen turned into Taleban, Taleban into Osama, Osama into WTC, WTC into Northern Alliance, Northern Alliance into Karzai, and then USA and NATO forces seeking for a window on how to leave the Brzezinski’s “Russian” trap. Without scheduling a withdrawal, of course, but best if we can do it in ten minutes!

And where’s Brzezinski nowadays? Well, after writing a couple of “:” books, and chaired another couple of “Freedom Organisations”, then he retired and in 2006 he was engaged on signing a Fairfax County neighbors treaty on how a sidewalk should be done(3). I suggest he call it SALT IV.

Further readings:
1. "How Jimmy Carter and I Started the Mujahideen”, Interview of Zbigniew Brzezinski Le Nouvel Observateur (France), Jan 15-21, 1998, p. 76,
2. "Oui, la CIA est entrée en Afghanistan avant les Russes...” orginal interview (in french)
3. “Forever the Negotiator: Brzezinski in a Stalemate Over a Sidewalk”, The Washington Post, April 9, 2006,
4. "The Largest Covert Operation in CIA History", By Chalmers Johnson for LA Times
5. "CIA Agent Gust L. Avrakotos Dies at Age 67", By Patricia Sullivan for the Washington Post

Pakistan-Afghanistan: The Pashto Culture and the Pashtunwali

Non-written moral codes and behaviour that rules Pashtuns is named “Pastunwali”. The Jirga, or elders' court, is who determines the punishments that must be applied in case of breaching some of those rules. The capital punishment is one of the most common of the punishments applied by that court, as well as setting on fire his house and killing his relatives, with the lonely exception of women and children. These punitive actions are not carried out by the Jirga itself, but by the offended man or his progeny, several generations after produced, if necessary, in any time and space.

Do not look at the eyes of a Pasto woman of more than 10-12 years under any circumstance. Much less speak a word to him, unless it turns out to be strictly necessary. Neither praise his beauty, nor try any gallantry with her, as it is customary in Occident. Behaviours that could be interpreted in an equivocal way with them can determine the death of both, as it is frequently stated by the Jirga. Such the exposed things, it does not seem necessary to clarify what can happen in cases of violation, infidelity, abduction or so.

Although the Pashtunwali is extremely hard with the punishments, it is also rigorous with the duties that a Pashto has for with whom requested him help or protection, as it must be given even to the foes, if they request it. And the respect to the elders is unmatched with any other culture.

Inside the Pashto tribe, the clan of the Afridis is who rules in the grounds of the Khyber Pass. From immemorial times, they have enjoyed the profits of brigandage and tolls levied on all those who have sought the right to pass, from Alexander the Great, Chinggiz Khan or the very same English forces of occupation, during the Anglo-Afghans wars (1839-42, 1878-80, 1919-20) and the two world wars. Today their territory in Pakistan still constitutes to sort of free zone famous for smuggling guns, ammo, tobacco, “poppy derivates” and other goods.