Although there is, perhaps, a small element of truth in it because it's likely that some of the Mujahideen wound up in the Taliban. The situation in Afghanistan after the Soviet pullout got rather confusing and bloody.

Yes, the Muhahadeen were set up with foriegn assistance and local co-ordination from the ISI in refugee settlements in the tribal belt, whereas the Taliban were set up with foriegn assistance and local co-ordination from the ISI in refugee settlements in the tribal belt.
Clear as mud:up:

The confusion arises because the taliban were mujahadeen but were only one faction out of the ever shifting alliances of factions within the mujahadeen

Yep. Folks love to label everything into neat little categories for their own purposes, usually having nothing to do with the reality for those being defined. As you say the real situation was rather less clear.

I find it not surprising at all that the Chinese would covertly support the Taliban. China has always attempted to control the countries on it's borders, and it would at least be a way of hedging their bet if the Taliban were to return to power.

I suppose they have a lot to gain by having us fail overthere.:shifty: I dunno, what can you do? They have us on a short leash, or they may come and collect the money we owe them.

We could pull a 19th century Russia move and sell them Kali-fornia and Ore-gone.

...atleast China would solve the border issue.:hmmm:

And is anyone surprised at this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_...78-1980s:yawn:

[QUOTE=nikimcbee;1557693]I suppose they have a lot to gain by having us fail overthere.:shifty: I dunno, what can you do? They have us on a short leash, or they may come and collect the money we owe them.

I don't think the purpose is to make us fail so much as it is to position themselves as a friendly to the Taliban if they should regain power. That and bleed us a bit for supporting their dissidents and the Dali Lama.

A decision that Russians have been kicking themselves in the butt for almost a century and a half now! :DL

[QUOTE=August;1557975]I have a hard time reading China. There's days I think I totally understand them and days they totally baffle me.

Me too. It is clear from their rapid ascent that they have a plan, but sometimes I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what the hell it is.

Why do you think a rapid ascent implies a plan?

Exactly, most plans in the PRC involve smelting iron in back yards or other such nonsense. They got a billion people offered their first bit of financial freedom in 60 years, they are going to suck in resources and money like a black hole for decades because of it.

Because no nation in the history of man has risen to prominence without planning. Progress is never accidental.

If China puts the US economy down the plughole, it will be committing suicide. Chinas economy is very linked to the US, if one falls, the other will. Furthermore, the US can recover quicker than China can from such a fall. So, the US is actually in a better position than most think.

You really think China is in a position of "prominence"? In my mind, economic success does not equal prominence, especially when said success is almost entirely dependent on income from nations that really are prominent. Find me something I can buy in the west that doesn't say "Made In China"!

This, IMHO.