Americas first Muslim cabinet member?

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Ned
Note that our support for the Afghan resistance began under Carter. Was Khalilzad part of that policy formation?

Carter was before Khalilzad's time. ZK emerged in the mid-eighties

"He joined the State Department as a Council on Foreign Relations fellow in 1984 and served as a member of the department's Policy Planning Council from 1986 to 1988."
--- Biographical note by Zalmay Khalilzad The Washington Post February 12, 1989, Sunday, Final Edition Outlook, Page C1

In 1985 Khalilzad was on the Board of "Friends of Afghanistan" with Zbigniew Brzezinski. Khalilzad taught at Brzezinski's university, Columbia. This company was in involved in teaching the Muj how to run propaganda campaigns.

U.S. Provides $500,000 So Afghan Rebels Can Tell Their Story
Associated Press, September 16, 1985, Monday, PM cycle; SECTION Washington; Dateline, By Joan Mower, Washington

Guerrillas in Afghanistan are about to get money from the United States government for a public relations campaign intended to bring their struggle against Soviet troops to the world's attention.

The money will train Afghan rebel journalists to use television, radio and newspapers to advance their cause. Reporters will be given mini-cameras to photograph the war inside Afghanistan.

"It is the goal of this project to facilitate the collection, development and distribution of credible, objective and timely professional-quality news stories, photographs and television images about developments in Afghanistan," said a notice in the Federal Register.

The program will be overseen by Uncle Sam's own propaganda arm, the U.S. Information Agency. Congress appropriated $500 000 to hire experts and may provide more later.

In making the money available, Congress all but instructed USIA to consider an organization like Friends of Afghanistan, a new group whose board includes former Carter administration national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, known for hard-line anti-Soviet views.

USIA has solicited proposals, due Sept. 25.

Friends of Afghanistan includes other American foreign policy luminaries such as Lawrence Eagleburger, a former undersecretary of state, and Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad, a Columbia University political science professor and some-time paid adviser to the State Department on Afghanistan. ...

[Ned]

I found this, which indicates that Khalizad was a professor at Columbia and an associate of Z.B., a top Democrat.

"AP, September 16, 1985, Monday, PM cycle SECTION: Washington Dateline

By JOAN MOWER

WASHINGTON

Guerrillas in Afghanistan are about to get money from the United States government for a public relations campaign intended to bring their struggle against Soviet troops to the world's attention.

The money will train Afghan rebel journalists to use television, radio and newspapers to advance their cause. Reporters will be given mini-cameras to photograph the war inside Afghanistan.

"It is the goal of this project to facilitate the collection, development and distribution of credible, objective and timely professional-quality news stories, photographs and television images about developments in Afghanistan," said a notice in the Federal Register. The program will be overseen by Uncle Sam's own propaganda arm, the U.S. Information Agency. Congress appropriated $500,000 to hire experts and may provide more later.

In making the money available, Congress all but instructed USIA to consider an organization like Friends of Afghanistan, a new group whose board includes former Carter administration national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, known for hard-line anti-Soviet views.

USIA has solicited proposals, due Sept. 25.

Friends of Afghanistan includes other American foreign policy luminaries such as Lawrence Eagleburger, a former undersecretary of state, and Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad, a Columbia University political science professor and some-time paid adviser to the State Department on Afghanistan.

http://emperors-clothes.com/interviews/brz.htm

[Ned]

Thanks Cort. I should have read your post first.

But LoTM has been consistently trying to link Khalilzad and our support of the Muhajedden to Reagan, ignoring the origins of the the support to Carter and K's association with Carter's man, Z.B.

Also, it appears, Khalilzad was an advisor to the State Dept. during the Clinton years.

What does seem clear, though, is tht K has backed Islamic fundies. What is not clear is whether he backed them knowing that at least some of them were rabidly anti-American. Remember, some of the Afghan fighters became the Northern Alliance who are now our allies in the region.

[lord of the mark]

i dont have time right now to research every aspect of Kosovo politics. But one thing you ignore in the demographic changes is that Serbs left Kosovo for economic reasons, to go to more prosperous areas of Yugoslavia, during the Tito regime.

And yes, I should have said Kosovo Albanians. Sorry if I offended you.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Spiffor

And because the US outright considered that Rugova could never achieve anything. You guys were on KLA's side as soon as you joined the fray.

thats cause we joined the fray so late. Rugova had already been marginalized, by Serbia, and we had to deal with that reality.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Ned
Thanks Cort. I should have read your post first.

But LoTM has been consistently trying to link Khalilzad and our support of the Muhajedden to Reagan, ignoring the origins of the the support to Carter and K's association with Carter's man, Z.B.

Also, it appears, Khalilzad was an advisor to the State Dept. during the Clinton years.

What does seem clear, though, is tht K has backed Islamic fundies. What is not clear is whether he backed them knowing that at least some of them were rabidly anti-American. Remember, some of the Afghan fighters became the Northern Alliance who are now our allies in the region.

yes, the US policy on Afghanistan started under Zbiggy, and under Carter. So what? Despite Carters later antics, he actually followed an anti-Soviet policy in office - certainly Zbiggy, a refugee from Poland, did so. They supported the Mujahadin not out of love for the Holy Qoran, but to weaken the USSR. Not surprising, therefore, that the Reagan admin embraced and continued that policy. And it was then that ZK was in office.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
As an example of Khalilzad's power as Special Envoy, he influenced the selection of Hamid Karzai to head the Afghan government, by getting the other two candidates to withdraw.

"Although challenged by two other candidates, his victory was preordained by the controversial influence of U.S. and other foreign advisors, which could taint the credibility of his tenure. Mohammad Zaher Shah, the nation's former king, withdrew from the political stage on the advice of President Bush's envoy [Zalmay Khalilzad]. Former President Burhanuddin Rabbani's departure from the race is believed to have been arranged in return for a prestigious title to be bestowed later.
-- Los Angeles Times
June 14, 2002

1. ZK didnt make up that policy, but was executing the policy of the US state dept and National Security Council.
2. It was not the US alone, but "other foreign advisors" (read UK and Germany) as well.

The northerners would have had major problems with the king, and the Pashtuns with Rabbani. Karzai was the compromise choice, and had proven himself during the war.

[KrazyHorse]

So now the same actions which conservatives laud Reagan as having used to bring down the Evil Empire also serve to prove a pro-Muslim bias on the part of a Bush appointee?

[KrazyHorse]

Ned, seriously: whose DL are you?

[snoopy369]

More importantly, when the heck did Cort Haus become the crazy tinfoil hat one, and aneeshm post a single line of support for another poster?

My world is turned upside down

[lord of the mark]

I, for one, welcome our new Brahmin overlords.

[Ned]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


yes, the US policy on Afghanistan started under Zbiggy, and under Carter. So what? Despite Carters later antics, he actually followed an anti-Soviet policy in office - certainly Zbiggy, a refugee from Poland, did so. They supported the Mujahadin not out of love for the Holy Qoran, but to weaken the USSR. Not surprising, therefore, that the Reagan admin embraced and continued that policy. And it was then that ZK was in office.

And to some extent, Afghanistan was a serious factor in the fall of communism in the USSR. While Reagan like to take all the credit for applying pressure on the commies, it really started with Carter. History should note this and give him, Z.B. and K the credit they are due.

[Ned]

As to K, he does seem to be a significant mover and shaker on the world stage.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
And yes, I should have said Kosovo Albanians. Sorry if I offended you.

It's OK, you didn't offend me.

I'm just pointing out how the default language used in Western reportage, analysis and discussion instrinsically skews things in one direction.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Ned
As to K, he does seem to be a significant mover and shaker on the world stage.

He's probabaly more powerful than Bush. He certainly has a better idea of what's going on.