[url]http://polls.aol.com/ifs/poll/news/votepage3325.adp[/url]

Interesting topic.

I think that the "humanitarian food" is really a way for us to attack the terrorists and call it "humanitarian".  Im all for it if it keeps the dems quiet and we get the job done right.

I hope it's laced with ricin

People of Afghanistan are called [b]Afghans.[/b]  An Afghani is currency.

Hearts and minds...

My thoughts? Feed the Northern Alliance, throw up Quonset huts or other prefab buildings for them, arm them, and train them to fight and win against the Taliban. Meanwhile, drop pamphlets night and day throughout Taliban-controlled areas, telling the residents how good they'll have it if they sneak away with their families to NA-held areas - all the food you can eat, medical care, a warm building with bed and blankets, a gun and proper training to use it against the hated Taliban, the knowledge that their families are safe from reprisal, etc. Give the average Joe a reason to take the risk of getting out (the above-mentioned bennies), then give him the means to accomplish what both you and he want.

Wont work- the Northern Alliance is made up mostly of Kazaks, Uzbeks, and Tajiks. Most of Afganistan is occupied by Pushten's- that is how the Taliban was able to kick out the NA 5 years ago and take power. Raceism, pure and simple.

What kind of dogs do they have?
What kind of blankets do they have? [smoke]

The Prez. should sign a secret, emergency executive order to provide humanitarian pork-chop, bacon and sausage MRE's.  In fine print, the package should mention what the food is.
[chainsawkill]

feed the people in our country first.

It's just happens to be a good way to show we are at war with the Taliban and not the bystander Muslims there. There is really few other ways to do it effectively.

When you kill the innocent wrecklessly to get even with the guilty, you become the terrorist. What we are now doing is the best way to handle it. Arafat is supporting us. They are even shooting their own people who protest against us in the streets. So is the leader of Pakistan. These guys deserve and need a little positive feedback from us when they are putting their own necks on the line for our cause.

We have burned these people with false promises before. They are not stupid. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me".

We might be feeding their army.

It is a catch 22. We need to appease them, but it may bite us in the butt.

I have problems with feeding their people. I feel to win a war you have to break the spirit of the supporting people. But these packages also have propaganda attached to help sway their support. Our government and media is great at swaying public opinion with propaganda. Look what they have done with guns.

Useful propaganda maybe, but counter-intuitive to say the least.  It's the kind of op that causes confusion about America in other countries.  Are we the worlds greatest killers, or the worlds greatest do-gooder. Apparently, even we don't know. We are an enigma.

Why, oh why, are we feeding people we're going to have to kill? If the "friendlies" (Pakistan) in the area that we're already working with support Bin Laden, do you really think that the Northern Alliance is extremely Pro US? I think not. They want to get back into power, that's all, and when we've won the war for them, they're gonna start saying how bad we are all over again. Now, I don't agree with the Brits too often (being of Irish decent), but we should take a page from their book and use the 'ole Indians and Smallpox tactic with the airdropped food. Hey, we could even blame it on the Taliban, saying it was them attacking their own people! I hope someone at the Pentagon is taking notes....

SAMHAIN44

"
                      Why, oh why, are we feeding people we're going to have to kill? If the "friendlies" (Pakistan) in the area that we're already working with support Bin
                      Laden, do you really think that the Northern Alliance is extremely Pro US? I think not. They want to get back into power, that's all, and when we've
                      won the war for them, they're gonna start saying how bad we are all over again. Now, I don't agree with the Brits too often (being of Irish decent),
                      but we should take a page from their book and use the 'ole Indians and Smallpox tactic with the airdropped food. Hey, we could even blame it on the
                      Taliban, saying it was them attacking their own people! I hope someone at the Pentagon is taking notes...."  posted by samhain44

What are you, completely insane or just the ever claimed Satan of the west. Yeah, that would really win over the rest of the muslim people to our side.

We've got Arafat shooting his own people in support of us. Pakistan is doing the same thing and now you are prescribing an act that would turn our few key allies against us. You need to get a clue.

And someone at the Pentagon is taking notes. Taking notes of the crazy people on here as usual [:D]

I have no more problem with us feeding them than I do with us feeding damn near every other third world sh/thole in the world. Don't forget, we were Afghanistan's largest humanitarian aid donor this year, to the tune of $125 Million. And this to a regime that hates us for our decadent, infidel ways.

The common people in Afghanistan, could care less about us. They are directed to hate us yo take their minds off the lack of leadership. It  isa standard ploy of despots, 'lookat all they have and you have nothing....it is their fault you are starving.
Feed  the civilians and when the Taliban troops get hold of the rations. Let them salute the our flag!!!!