Ex-National Security Chief Brzezinski admits: Afghan Islamism Was Made =
in Washington=20
Interview with Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter's National =
Security Adviser in 'Le Nouvel Observateur' (France), Jan 15-21, 1998, =
p. 76=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
A couple of thoughts about the Brzezinski interview below. First, it =
flatly contradicts the common justification for U.S. actions in =
Afghanistan during the 1980s: that the U.S. simply aided forces =
resisting Soviet imperialism. Brzezinski makes clear that the Soviets =
were baited into sending forces to Afghanistan; thus their actions were =
defensive. Moreover, the U.S. used the violent Wahhabi (Saudi Arabian) =
form of Islam to create a monster-movement which plagues the world =
today. or more on this, see 'Articles Documenting U.S. Creation of =
Taliban and bin Laden's Terrorist Network' at =
http://emperors-clothes.com/docs/doc.htm=20
A reader wrote: "Similarly just because Brzezinski (among others) likes =
to claim that he personally overthrew the Soviet Union doesn't mean that =
you or the rest of us have to take him seriously. Nobody in 1979 had any =
reason to think that the Afghan war would bring down the USSR. Nor have =
we any real reason to think that it did bring it down."
The point is well taken at least as regards Brzezinski's claim that his =
Afghan strategy destroyed the Soviet Union. But the issue here is a =
different one: what role did the U.S. government play in the creation of =
Islamist terrorism? In that regard, Brzezinski's assertion that the U.S. =
provoked Soviet actions and that Islamism was deliberately fostered is =
backed up by sources on all sides of the Afghan issue.=20
Here's the interview.
-- Emperor's Clothes
***
Question: The former director of the CIA, Robert Gates, stated in his =
memoirs ["From the Shadows"], that American intelligence services began =
to aid the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan 6 months before the Soviet =
intervention. In this period you were the national security adviser to =
President Carter. You therefore played a role in this affair. Is that =
correct?=20
Brzezinski: Yes. According to the official version of history, CIA aid =
to the Mujahadeen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet =
army invaded Afghanistan, 24 Dec 1979. But the reality, secretly guarded =
until now, is completely otherwise: Indeed, it was July 3, 1979 that =
President Carter signed the first directive for secret aid to the =
opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. And that very day, I wrote =
a note to the president in which I explained to him that in my opinion =
this aid was going to induce a Soviet military intervention.=20
Q: Despite this risk, you were an advocate of this covert action. But =
perhaps you yourself desired this Soviet entry into war and looked to =
provoke it?=20
B: It isn't quite that. We didn't push the Russians to intervene, but we =
knowingly increased the probability that they would.=20
Q: When the Soviets justified their intervention by asserting that they =
intended to fight against a secret involvement of the United States in =
Afghanistan, people didn't believe them. However, there was a basis of =
truth. You don't regret anything today?=20
B: Regret what? That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had the =
effect of drawing the Russians into the Afghan trap and you want me to =
regret it? The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I =
wrote to President Carter: We now have the opportunity of giving to the =
USSR its Vietnam war. Indeed, for almost 10 years, Moscow had to carry =
on a war unsupportable by the government, a conflict that brought about =
the demoralization and finally the breakup of the Soviet empire.=20
Q: And neither do you regret having supported the Islamic =
fundamentalism, having given arms and advice to future terrorists?=20
B: What is most important to the history of the world? The Taliban or =
the collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred-up Moslems or the =
liberation of Central Europe and the end of the cold war?=20
Q: Some stirred-up Moslems? But it has been said and repeated: Islamic =
fundamentalism represents a world menace today.=20
B: Nonsense! It is said that the West had a global policy in regard to =
Islam. That is stupid. There isn't a global Islam. Look at Islam in a =
rational manner and without demagoguery or emotion. It is the leading =
religion of the world with 1.5 billion followers. But what is there in =
common among Saudi Arabian fundamentalism, moderate Morocco, Pakistan =
militarism, Egyptian pro-Western or Central Asian secularism? Nothing =
more than what unites the Christian countries.=20
***
Note: There are at least two editions of 'Le Nouvel Observateur.' With =
apparently the sole exception of the Library of Congress, the version =
sent to the United States is shorter than the French version. The =
Brzezinski interview was not included in the shorter version.=20
This text was kindly translated from the French by Bill Blum.
Click here to email the link to this article to a friend!
=3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D
Further Reading
=3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D
Brzezinski is very much a part of the U.S. foreign policy establishment =
today, and the strategy he helped develop is crucial to U.S. government =
actions today. See:
a.. 'Why Washington Wants Afghanistan' by Jared Israel, Rick Rozoff & =
Nico Varkevisser at http://emperors-clothes.com/analysis/afghan.htm=20
a.. 'NATO Buildup in the Balkans: Part of a Deadly Game' by Jared =
Israel at http://emperors-clothes.com/news/farish.htm=20
a.. 'Why is NATO Decimating the Balkans and Trying to Force Milosevic =
to Surrender?' By Jared Israel and Nico Varkevisser at =
http://emperors-clothes.com/analysis/whyisn.htm
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<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D2>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT size=3D5>Ex-National Security Chief Brzezinski admits: =
</FONT><FONT=20
size=3D7>Afghan Islamism Was Made in Washington </FONT>
<P><FONT size=3D4>Interview with Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy =
Carter's=20
National Security Adviser in 'Le Nouvel Observateur' (France), Jan =
15-21, 1998,=20
p. 76 <BR></FONT><FONT =
size=3D3>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3>A couple of thoughts about the </FONT>Brzezinski =
interview=20
below. First, it flatly contradicts the common justification for U.S. =
actions in=20
Afghanistan during the 1980s: that the U.S. simply aided forces =
resisting Soviet=20
imperialism. Brzezinski makes clear that the Soviets were baited into =
sending=20
forces to Afghanistan; thus their actions were defensive. Moreover, the =
U.S.=20
used the violent Wahhabi (Saudi Arabian) form of Islam to create a=20
monster-movement which plagues the world today. or more on this, see =
<FONT=20
size=3D3>'</FONT><A =
href=3D"http://emperors-clothes.com/docs/doc.htm"><FONT=20
size=3D3>Articles Documenting U.S. Creation of Taliban and bin Laden's =
Terrorist=20
Network</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3>' at </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://emperors-clothes.com/docs/doc.htm"><FONT=20
size=3D3>http://emperors-clothes.com/docs/doc.htm</FONT></A><FONT =
size=3D3>=20
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3>A reader wrote: "Similarly just because Brzezinski =
(among=20
others) likes to claim that he personally overthrew the Soviet Union =
doesn't=20
mean that you or the rest of us have to take him seriously. Nobody in =
1979 had=20
any reason to think that the Afghan war would bring down the USSR. Nor =
have we=20
any real reason to think that it did bring it down."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3>The point is well taken at least as regards =
Brzezinski's claim=20
that his Afghan strategy destroyed the Soviet Union. But the issue here =
is a=20
different one: what role did the U.S. government play in the creation of =
Islamist terrorism? In that regard, Brzezinski's assertion that the U.S. =
provoked Soviet actions and that Islamism was deliberately fostered is =
backed up=20
by sources on all sides of the Afghan issue. </FONT></P>
<P>Here's the interview.</P>
<P>-- Emperor's Clothes</P>
<P>***</P>
<P>Question: The former director of the CIA, Robert Gates, stated in his =
memoirs=20
["From the Shadows"], that American intelligence services began to aid =
the=20
Mujahadeen in Afghanistan 6 months before the Soviet intervention. In =
this=20
period you were the national security adviser to President Carter. You =
therefore=20
played a role in this affair. Is that correct? </P>
<P>Brzezinski: Yes. According to the official version of history, CIA =
aid to the=20
Mujahadeen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet army =
invaded=20
Afghanistan, 24 Dec 1979. But the reality, secretly guarded until now, =
is=20
completely otherwise: Indeed, it was July 3, 1979 that President Carter =
signed=20
the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet =
regime in=20
Kabul. And that very day, I wrote a note to the president in which I =
explained=20
to him that in my opinion this aid was going to induce a Soviet military =
intervention. </P>
<P>Q: Despite this risk, you were an advocate of this covert action. But =
perhaps=20
you yourself desired this Soviet entry into war and looked to provoke =
it? </P>
<P>B: It isn't quite that. We didn't push the Russians to intervene, but =
we=20
knowingly increased the probability that they would. </P>
<P>Q: When the Soviets justified their intervention by asserting that =
they=20
intended to fight against a secret involvement of the United States in=20
Afghanistan, people didn't believe them. However, there was a basis of =
truth.=20
You don't regret anything today? </P>
<P>B: Regret what? That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had =
the=20
effect of drawing the Russians into the Afghan trap and you want me to =
regret=20
it? The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to =
President=20
Carter: We now have the opportunity of giving to the USSR its Vietnam =
war.=20
Indeed, for almost 10 years, Moscow had to carry on a war unsupportable =
by the=20
government, a conflict that brought about the demoralization and finally =
the=20
breakup of the Soviet empire. </P>
<P>Q: And neither do you regret having supported the Islamic =
fundamentalism,=20
having given arms and advice to future terrorists? </P>
<P>B: What is most important to the history of the world? The Taliban or =
the=20
collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred-up Moslems or the liberation =
of=20
Central Europe and the end of the cold war? </P>
<P>Q: Some stirred-up Moslems? But it has been said and repeated: =
Islamic=20
fundamentalism represents a world menace today. </P>
<P>B: Nonsense! It is said that the West had a global policy in regard =
to Islam.=20
That is stupid. There isn't a global Islam. Look at Islam in a rational =
manner=20
and without demagoguery or emotion. It is the leading religion of the =
world with=20
1.5 billion followers. But what is there in common among Saudi Arabian=20
fundamentalism, moderate Morocco, Pakistan militarism, Egyptian =
pro-Western or=20
Central Asian secularism? Nothing more than what unites the Christian =
countries.=20
</P>
<P><FONT size=3D4>***</FONT></P>
<P>Note: There are at least two editions of <FONT size=3D3>'Le Nouvel=20
Observateur.' </FONT>With apparently the sole exception of the Library =
of=20
Congress, the version sent to the United States is shorter than the =
French=20
version. The Brzezinski interview was not included in the shorter =
version. </P>
<P>This text was kindly translated from the French by Bill Blum.</P>
<P><A=20
href=3D"mailto:ENTER%20FRIEND'S%20EMAIL%20ADDRESS%20HERE?subject=3DHere's=
an interesting article from emperors-clothes.com!&body=3DI just =
read the following article which I thought you would find interesting. =
Here's the address: URL for this article is =
http://emperors-clothes.com/interviews/brz.htm"><FONT=20
size=3D4>Click here</FONT></A><FONT size=3D4> to email the link to this =
article to a=20
friend!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D3>=3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =3D =
=3D<BR></FONT><FONT size=3D6>Further=20
Reading</FONT><FONT size=3D1><BR></FONT><FONT size=3D4>=3D =3D =3D =3D =
=3D =3D =3D =3D =3D=20
=3D</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D4>Brzezinski is very much a part of the U.S. foreign =
policy=20
establishment today, and the strategy he helped develop is crucial to =
U.S.=20
government actions today. See:</FONT></P>
<UL>
<LI><FONT size=3D3>'</FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://emperors-clothes.com/analysis/afghan.htm"><FONT =
size=3D3>Why=20
Washington Wants Afghanistan</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3>'</FONT><FONT =
size=3D6>=20
</FONT><FONT size=3D3>by </FONT>Jared Israel, Rick Rozoff & Nico =
Varkevisser=20
<FONT size=3D3>at </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://emperors-clothes.com/analysis/afghan.htm"><FONT=20
size=3D3>http://emperors-clothes.com/analysis/afghan.htm</FONT></A> =
</LI></UL>
<UL>
<LI><FONT size=3D3>'</FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://emperors-clothes.com/news/farish-1.htm"><FONT =
size=3D3>NATO Buildup=20
in the Balkans: Part of a Deadly Game</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3>' by =
Jared Israel=20
at </FONT><A =
href=3D"http://emperors-clothes.com/news/farish.htm"><FONT=20
size=3D3>http://emperors-clothes.com/news/farish.htm</FONT></A><FONT =
size=3D3>=20
</FONT></LI></UL>
<UL>
<LI><FONT size=3D3>'</FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://emperors-clothes.com/analysis/whyisn.htm"><FONT =
size=3D3>Why is=20
NATO Decimating the Balkans and Trying to Force Milosevic to=20
Surrender?</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3>' By Jared Israel and Nico =
Varkevisser at=20
</FONT><A =
href=3D"http://emperors-clothes.com/analysis/whyisn.htm"><FONT=20
=
size=3D3>http://emperors-clothes.com/analysis/whyisn.htm</FONT></A></LI><=
/UL></DIV></BODY></HTML></FONT></FONT>