Syed's good point

Syed,

Salam and thank you. To be frank, I would appreciate your further comments
on this. Reuters archive and Guardian and what have you is still better than
CNN and the rest of the opinion machine, but solid - world systems analysis
- from the spot is even more important. Quite frankly thus, I do not know
what to repsond and I am willing to listen and learn.

I think you gathered from my postings that I am very much in favor of a true
European dialogue with the Islamic world, and remember also that I posted
Edward Said's article from Al Ahram (incidently one of the best newspapers
in the world). And in the final analysis, Pope John Paul II is much nearer a
necessary standpoint of reconciliation and dialogue than the voices of a
Huntingtonian cultural clash that here and there appear now (remember also
my posting on the backlash against Muslim minorities - as if the grocery
shop owner from Turkey down on my bloc where to blame for OBL!). To such
forces of hatred and darkness - stop stop and again stop!

Years ago, I published with people from your University in Lahore 

(1986e) 'Positions within the Global Order, Patterns of Defense Policies,
and National Development: Austria and Pakistan Compared' in 'Security for
the Weak Nations. A Multiple Perspective. A Joint Project of Pakistani and
Austrian Scholars' (S. FAROOQ HASNAT/PELINKA A. (Eds.)) Izharsons, Lahore:
245-255

one of the few studies ever written on the possibilities of a defensive
military doctrine in the periphery and in the center. Our Pakistani authors
were high ranking brilliant people from enlightened circles in the academic
and security establishment, still today a wonderful book and widely reviewed
in Pakistan at the time but unfortunately only relevant now historically -
reviewed amongst others in THE NATION and in PAKISTAN HORIZON. 

The Reuters archive articles that I posted included analyses from such well
known journals as SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG. These highlight in an interesting
fashion the activities of the named Pak. General. From his point of view,
what he says sounds all very logic - we as world systems scholars
nevertheless should be aware of the fact, what he expresses! His disillusion
with the West and his obvious sense of betrayal.

The point, Syed is this - with the war in Afghanistan against the Russians,
Pakistan fulfilled a vital role in propping up the western front against the
USSR, (something like a peasant in a game of chess) while the US at that
time did not care at all who were their partners (just as in Panama .... and
so many other places around the world) - ranging even to the drog lords of
this complicated neighbourly country of yours in the Hindukush.

With the perspective of a major land invasion of NATO in Afghanistan just
around the corner, the danger of a major de-stabilization of the region
increases, a destabilization that would bring in also the increasing danger
of an Indo-Pak conflagration.

On the WSN I was one of the few people to notice these developments back in
the 1990s, and when you go to the URL

http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/wsn/


you will find at least:

The nuclear arms race in South Asia - Pakistani/Austrian publication
Austrian Embassy Re: The nuclear arms race in South Asia Daniel M Green
(korea) Korea Letter Wed Jun 3 (fwd) David Smith Re: The nuclear arms race
in South Asia christopher chase-dunn Re: ReORIENT thesis - an objection
Richard K. Moore Re: ReORIENT thesis - an objection Dr Rene Barendse Re:
ReORIENT thesis - an objection Dennis R Redmond Re: The nuclear arms race in
South Asia Austrian Embassy gunder frank response # 4 Gunder Frank Re: WSN
digest 397 Charles J. Reid Re: The nuclear arms race in South Asia Daniel M
Green Re: Dialogue: Frank, Landes and announcement. Dr Rene Barendse [Fwd:
Nuclear Tests on the subcontinent] christopher chase-dunn

The problem of the enlightened parts of the West is that the discrimination
suffered by the Islamic world over the last hundreds of years is very real,
and that we better concentrate - instead of having military presences there
- on our very own affair of building a better and more humane world here -
around the corner! No power axis ranging from New York and London via Ankara
to Tel Aviv, but building a true peace in the Mid East, a European role of
dialogue in world affairs, something along the lines proposed by Samir Amin
over the years.

Finally, I would not like to ignite here a debate on the Kashmir conflict -
I think, our world systems colleagues at 

http://www.epw.org.in/

know much better than I do what to say on such issues. I wish to the
empoverihsed masses on both sides of the conflict peace peace and once again
peace - nothing more.

So my apologies - the positions of my own government you find by the way on
their superb website at:

http://www.bmaa.gv.at/index.html.en

Never forget that I write these short comments - perhaps really half-baked
and as private and concerned scholar!

Salam Aleikum and kindest regards and trying to listen and learn

Arno Tausch