There is absolutely no media coverage on this matter.  Are they just our very temporary "allies" in this effort?  What are their disputes with the Taliban?  What do they stand for?  Just seems we should start asking these questions soon.  Is it in our best long term interest to back them?

What do I know about the Northern Alliance? Well I know that I would keep a close eye on them if they were around and that I wouldn't turn my back to them.........

I know that they don't like the Taliban, but that doesn't mean that they dislike Osama Bin Laden.  It also doesn't mean that they like us.



-SS

For an intel report on Afghanistan and the various players over there, go to
[url]www.hackworth.com[/url]
and scroll down to the Sept. 28 entry headed "Important Read". This is a letter from a West Pointer working with the UN land mine removal project.

The Northern Alliance is one of several groups opposing the Taliban. They claim that they don't want to take over the country, but to put together a coalition government. They seem to be less fanatical than the Taliban, and more willing to be part of a less repressive government. Like most everyone else over there, they have their share of bad guys. You will notice that the US has done nothing that could be taken to indicate approval or partnership with them.

I heard something that their beliefs are somewhat little similar to the Taliban's.  

They are either the # 2 or 3 opium seller in the world.All the stuff you hear about the SE Asia trade and these guys beat them every single way.

[b]What do we know about the Northern Alliance? [/b]

Not a goddamn thing. So let's arm them, build them up and help them take over the country. Then we can later have the nerve to look surprised when they backdoor us.

OR

Option 2. We can take US money and completely modernize and industrialize Afghanistan and later buy trendy new Afghan cars, toaster and clothes. If we just pump billions of dollars into their country they promise not to screw with us anymore...

Hey did we just pay "protection" money?

They're convinced that Bin Laden is behind the September 9th assination of Ahmad Shah Masood, their commander and key strategic planner. Thus, it's a pretty sure bet that "dislike" is an understatement in this case.

The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan website ( [url]http://www.rawa.org[/url] ) has repeatedly criticized the Northern Alliance for being just as repressive as the Taliban.

Alas, like so many other conflicts the U.S. has been involved in, this war seems to be a textbook example of  the "lesser of two evils".

The NA are basically trash.  They used to have control over quite a lot of Afghanistan, but were so rotten, corrupt, and incompetent that they got the boot.

They are strictly a convenient "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" type of "ally".

If they get back into power, expect the situation to stay unstable and for terrorist attacks to continue, albeit probably without the NA's active support (unlike the Taliban).