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opinion
Who can the United
States trust?
As America looks to
rid Afghanistan of terrorists and the ruling factions that support
them, we must keep a wider view on the region as a whole.
It is impossible
for the United States to know exactly who is a trustworthy
ally. Do we, as a nation, believe the words spewed by the
leaders of Iran, Syria, Lebanon and to some extent Pakistan
among others?
Many of these nations
have close ties to religious zealots within their borders.
While catering to extreme religious views of a few, they sacrifice
the safety of the masses.
There are Islamic
nations who will benefit from an attack on terrorism. Egypt
and Saudi Arabia may put on a tough front, but they will relish
the day when instability will reign. A small number of extremist
in any nation will make life unstable for it's citizens.
We hear Iran caution
the United States against retaliatory strikes and refuse any
notion of American use of Iranian airspace. But somehow we
are to believe that Iran is full-heartedly behind a battle
against terrorism.
Any action Iran
would take against terrorist would be done to avoid U.S. attacks.
Iran is an enemy to America. Remember this as Iranian officials
condemn attacks on Afghanistan. Iran, like Afghanistan, will
suffer the consequences of sympathy for terrorists.
Syria will be forced
to give up cells and information on terrorist. They do not
have the power to withstand American pressure. The Syrian
government would like the world to believe every effort is
being made to fight terrorism. But we know terrorist cells
operate in Syria.
Again this is a
question of what to believe. Do you trust a nation in words
or actions?
Lebanon is another
problem country in a region full of strife. Currently 25,000
Syrian troops are stationed in Beirut. The troops were sent
in to keep peace during Lebanon's 16-year civil war.
This war, like
the Afghani civil war, has allowed terrorists a home to refine
skills necessary to fight a war against the United States.
We have had problems with Lebanon in the past and will be
reluctant to trust any information out of Beirut, positive
or negative.
Questions of trust
finally lead us to Pakistan. We know Iran, Syria and Lebanon
are not to be trusted, but in this situation we are forced
to take Pakistan at its word.
That does not mean
we can have total faith in the government of Pakistan, a government
sanctioned for testing nuclear weapons while at war with India.
Factions within Pakistan would love to see the United States
and its allies defeated.
Many questions
were raised regarding Pakistani intelligence and their loyalties.
Any information we offer to share with Pakistan could easily
end up in the hands of terrorist.
Pakistan was and
is a major training ground for terror networks. Many Taliban
soldiers have fought war for Pakistan against India in Kashmir.
Can we trust them?
Should we trust them? If so, how much vital information do
we trust them with?
These are skepticisms
we must keep regarding every nation we will deal with during
this crisis.
Dwight Flenniken
III is a journalism major at Cal State Long Beach.
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