Originally Posted by chachacha

i am really torn on this issue....while i read very sad posts about the women in Afghanistan praying that we stay and do not leave their fate to the taliban, i also agree that we should not be trying to nation build there...the expert on islam who spoke to us last monday said that the only thing the radicals understand is punishment and strength...when we cause destruction and then come in to repair everything, we are perceived as fools...if we are going to fight them, we must leave the people themselves to rebuild and think twice about going against us again...this sounds harsh to our christian sensibilities but i think one must understand the mentality of their enemy in order to affect change. we should not be giving billions to these countries. perhaps the brave missionaries who try to work in these countries often at risk to their lives, can accomplish more than our govt through human caring. this is one issue that i am very confused about....are you? maybe we could have a program to bring young girls here for education they cannot get there, and when they go back they can be instrumental in bringing their country into the 21st century...years ago when the russians were in that country, i had the occasion to meet a very well educated Afghan refugee and his daughter out in billings, mt of all places...they like all people were seeking a life of sanity and culture, safety and opportunity...they impressed me very much....i remember we had a wonderful conversation all in French, so they were obviously educated in europe. sharing ideas is more powerful than sharing money.