“Bandits” | 5.04.05

Steve Coll writes in Ghost Wars about the mindset of the architects of the Soviet Union’s involvement in Afghanistan: (p.114)

Kremlin officials repeatedly assured themselves that the rebels were nothing more than basmachi, or bandits, the term used to describe Muslim rebels in Central Asia who unsuccessfully resisted Soviet authority following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

And we all know how assuring that line of thinking really turns out to be.

Without comparing Thailand to the Soviet Union and Pattani to Afghanistan — which would be crazy — the Thai authorities should know by now the folly of fighting the enemies by talking them down.

22:12 ▪ politics

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Zato 7.04.05

Tom, Thaksin would do well to ignore all the leftwing critics, Western governments (including the U.S.), the U.N. (especially the U.N.), and all those who would tie the hands of the Thai people from defending themselves from this murderous lot.