Hearts & Minds... and Mullahs and makeovers...

A little follow-up to the last story about "winning the hearts and minds" of the Iraq's and Afghani's - the capture of Mullah Baradar, the Taliban number 2 leader.

US intelligence says that it is expected a leadership reshuffle will ensue within the Taliban in Afghanistan. Rumor has it that the successor take Baradar's place: Mullah Abdul Qayam Zakir, a former Guantánamo detainee released back to Afghanistan by the Bush administration.

What? yes - a former Guantánamo detainee. Did the Bushy's release him so that Obamites would have to deal with him ? And where they gonna put him now with Obamites opposed to Gitmo and all the shadow-prisons closed down in Europe ? Gonna bring the Mullah to the U.S where he'll land at the airport and say, "talk to my lawyer." Anyhoo, looks like he's in Pakistani custody which is totally shadey. The JO bets that Hamid Karzai is trying to bring the Taliban ( decloaked ) into the Afghan government proper... you know those Pashtuns stick together.

( Heidi Montag has nothing to do with this story... )

NYU... spells elitism...

New York University - NYU - is one of the top universities in the world. Back in the 1800's, in New York City, Columbia was the best ( and only university ) around but it was for the elites, the wealthy, and men only. As a counter to this and to provide good education to the merchants, bankers, traders, artists, women and jews, NYU was founded in 1831. As the economy of NYC went, so did NYU. At first and for many many years, NYU was the school for the people, regardless of class, birth, status, you were admitted on merit. Still today these values stand and you may be admitted on these same qualities but you can't enroll unless you got the cash. A semester at NYU can be around $40K now. Yeah, yeah, it's in the city so we're paying for real estate.. yeah yeah... NYU produces so many lawyers and bankers so they should have a wealthy alumni... but how come alumni giving and the endowment is so low ( $2B ?... compared to Princeton like 40B over in NJ )... and what about NYU-ABD ? ABD as in Abu Dhabi. Yes, NYU President John Sexton is buds with the ABD Crown Prince so they decided to build a new campus out on a dessert island. Talk about elitism. What about - for the people ? Even in this weak economy, tuitions are still raising. So, who's gonna get a good education ? those that can afford it. Go CUNY !

Winning the Hearts & Minds - real meaning

JO attended two briefings in DC, by General David Petraeus, the 10th and current Commander, US Central Command. General Petraeus previously served as Commanding General, Multi National Force - Iraq (MNF-I). Very interesting guy. He seemed very sure that adding more troops and having more time in Iraq and Afghanistan would bring victory. He seemed more optimistic about Afghanistan saying that the Afghani people do have a sense of national identity eventhough there are many different ethnic groups. Afghans as a people can still harken back to the good ole days of the "golden age" in the 1960's. The general steered away from questions related to the war on terror as a war on Islam. Even if we call the Taliban a radicalized form of Islam... it's still Islam. The JO believes that all wars are holy wars. People just fighting over different beliefs in the end. The general commented on Gen. Stanley McChrystal's idea of "winning the hearts & minds" ( of the Iraqi's and Afghani's ) - the real meanining is - to win the hearts & minds of the people to make them see that the (Taliban ) radicals are destructive and oppressive and that the good people of Iraq and Afghan should take up arms and be willing to fight to protect their futures... so eventually American soldiers won't have to.
Like King Arthur in Monty Python says on his Crusades - Please! This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let's not bicker and argue over who killed who.