H/T to Unredacted at the National Security Archive for a very timely find on this week's Document Friday.
It's a State Department INR memo to the SecState dated November 7, 2001, reporting that "urban Pakistanis" polled immediately after 9/11 supported the Taliban regime in Afghanistan at greater levels than before. In fact, almost half of respondents favored increasing support to the Taliban.
The survey was conducted amongst “urban Pakistanis,” beginning “shortly after September 11″ 2001 and “almost all interviews” were conducted before the United States started bombing Afghanistan. In other words, the window that a westerner would assume that Pakistanis would probably have had the absolute lowest amount of support for the Taliban.
Not the case. The survey asked: “As you may know, our [Pakistani] government has been generally supportive of the Taliban government in Afghanistan. In the future, would you like to see our government strengthen its support for the Taliban, reduce its support, or maintain support for the Taliban at about the same level as now?”
The vast majority –46 percent– favored “increasing support for Mullah Omar’s regime.” Only a paltry 14 percent favored reducing support. The INR concluded that the Pakistani public “saw the Taliban more favorably than it had before the September 11 attacks.” And that Pakistanis “believed by a sizable majority that the Taliban are not a threat to stability in the region and that Pakistan’s ties with the Taliban are good.”
In a week when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff accused the Pakistani government of supporting the Afghan Taliban, it is sobering to realize how deep and pervasive popular support for the Taliban runs in Pakistan.
10 comments:
Great Post TSB: 700 arrested in NYC, Looks like this anti-establishment thing has some legs! gwb
GWB,
I was surprised to see that the anti-Wall Street protestors choose to block the Brooklyn Bridge (and the Brooklyn-bound side) at afternoon rush hour. Do investment banker types live in Brooklyn? I think all that did was to lose them whatever support they might have had among non-Wall Street employed New Yorkers.
I don't think the anger is toward workers on Wall Street but rather towards the USG which seems to take care only of the well off. The "Brooklyn Bridge" gets national headlines. I think the idea is to find a way to make civil disobedience effective in moving public opinion towards rejecting the status quo. gwb
TSB: A lot also has to do with the high cost of things. That routine 50 minute fiberoptic shoulder surgery will help your daily life a lot, but it will also cost someone around $20,000 (outpatient + PT). Without a good job and good insurance you aren't going to get it. gwb
TSB: Is this why Ford is risking his life in Syria? I forgot that the Senate has refused to confirm him.
On October 3, the U.S. Senate finally confirmed Ambassador Ford as U.S. Ambassador to Syria. It took Syrian eggs and tomatoes and iron bars to budge the Senate and get that confirmation finally going. (diplopundit) gwb
TSB: This is great! B.Bernanke before the senate today AGREES with the "Occupy Wall Street" movement! He says the bankers and the USG policy response played a big part in the mess we are in. Maybe he will go to NYC to support them! Maybe not! gwb
On Amb. Ford's confirmation, last year, Senator Lieberman and others thought it would be improper to appoint any Ambassador at a time when they wanted us to increase tension and pressure on Assad. Ford seems to have worked out for them.
Ok, what/or where is the story on the other diplomatic appointments that are on hold? gwb
I have no sympathy for those frustrated appointees. The Senate has a constitutional role to play, and I generally think they don't play it hard enough. The POTUS gets it his way almost all the time; if it was up to me, I'd deny many more appointments.
TSB: I came across an interesting story in Al Arabya about the US in Afghanistan. Then I searched CNN, WAPO, NYT, FOX, MSNBC,& LAT but couldn't find a mention. gwb
Obama honors Afghanistan war dead, 10 years on; Taliban says ‘victory is with us’
Friday, 07 October 2011
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/10/07/170694.html
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