Arming the Camels

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In Those Days, when satellite TV was first coming to be, I was able to watch uncut, raw footage news footage from around the world. At times, it was stomach turning to see videos that were being transmitted from abroad, before the networks had a chance to edit out the gore and present it in their own distorted way.

One video has stood out in my memory. It was from the early 1980's and showed a nomad looking character riding along a mountain ridge on a camel with a Stinger missile launcher hanging from his shoulder. A Russian jet came into view. The warrior dismounted, aimed the shoulder weapon, and launched the surface-to-air missile at the jet. The jet did everything it could, but did not escape it's doom. That half million dollar Stinger missile was provided to that camel mounted jockey jockey, that Russians would refer to as a "Rebel," compliments of America.

Eventually Russia pulled out, and Afghanistan continued on as they had been. In short, Russia wanted to beef up their failing Communist agenda by installing communism across the middle east. Russia soon learned that the Afghan people have a very different culture and could not be rehabilitated.

Ever since, America has wanted to reform the camels and their riders and modernise the country. Our efforts are proving just as futile, and the Afghan people will continue as they have been long after we decide to abandon our positions and admit defeat. And the same will prove true with Iraq, and now Libya.

But what bothers me most is that we have given them our weapons and trained their armies using our very own tactics. And what I fear most is that will all someday be used against us in the furtherance of their way of life.
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