| Show Is In Retreat BY YOUSEF Staff Writer The Unit United d States is rushing to cobble together a national multi-national security force from Muslim countries countries countries coun coun- tries like Turkey Bangladesh and Indonesia They hope to takeover take takeover takeover over Kabul following the fall of the Afghan capital to the Northern Alliance on the heels of fleeing Defying Washington's advise to stop at the gates of Kabul Alliance fighters appear to have entered the city itself to fill the military and political vacuum caused by the quick exit of the militia Reports from the city spoke of sporadic fighting and revenge killings of fighters fight fight- ers many of whom are Pakistanis Arabs and Although Bush administration administration admin admin- n officials say the fleeing are headed to their stronghold of latest reports about the fall of the airport airport airport air air- port in that southern city suggest the may be driven out of there too They may regroup inthe in inthe inthe the mountains to carry out a guerrilla guerri guerrilla guer guer- ri rilla ra war although there are also reports of scale large-scale defections Washington now f faces es the complex political task of 1 engineering the next government in Kabul K The first step is to put in place an international security force possibly under the aegis of the United Nation while it confects confects confects con- con an interim government The rapid fall of Afghan cities appears to have cut short the plans The military progression progression pro- pro egression has sped ahead of the political process The Bush administration tion does not want to commit American troops to stand in Afghanistan It has secured assurance assurance assurance assur assur- ance from at least three moderate Islamic countries Turkey Bangladesh and Indonesia to send peacekeeping troops while it puts together an interim govern- govern ment The political cal process is intricate and d daunting The US and much of the international community is committed to a broad-based broad representative government government government gov gov- involving all major tribes But having rolled into Kabul despite a restraining US hand the Northern Alliance which mostly represents ethnic minor minorities ties like and Hazara is certain to demand a major share in power and proceedings Given the past record the Alliance alone cannot be trusted to hold Kabul abul Already there are reports of the city being carved along ethnic lines So far Washington has not managed to find any non- non leadership acceptable to the Alliance Hopes of a Pakistan-inspired Pakistan breakaway moderate Tal iban have not mate mate- In any case the Alliance implacably opposed to Pakistan has said it will not sup with anyone backed by Islamabad In fact the fall of Kab Kabul l and the rout of the is a devastating blow to Pakistan akis an despite its professed ba backing king of American war aims Islamabad now has to wage a rearguard diplomatic battle to retain its political foothold in Kabul and in fact may not be able to do so even if Washington backs it It is hated by the Northern Alliance and is now disliked and distrusted by the f for r the manner in which it abandoned them The US has not yet mentioned using Pakistani troops in the international force Events have moved so rapidly that Pakistan's military leader Pervez is said to be stopping in Turkey on his way home from Washington in an effort to retain some political and military equity in Kabul r The policy of trying to attain a strategic depth against India by having a proxy govern government ment in Kabul now appears to have misfired badly on Pakistan Islamabad will now have to watch its rear flank especially if the makes common common common com com- mon cause with the of Pakistan Some experts are already beginning to see a rift in Afghanistan that could have a deleterious effect on Pakistan If the Northern Alliance whose political orientation is towards countries to its north and west Russia Tajikistan Uzbekistan Iran begins to control the northern north north- ern half of the country Islamabad could begin to feel the heat in the provinces bordering the controlled territories to the south where it is weak in any case India along with Iran and Russia backs the Northern Alliance The situation is complicated complicated complicated by Russia's insistence that no foreign forces be inducted into Kabul Russian President Vladimir came to Washington to meet with President Bush The Afghan situation situation situation situ situ- has developed so rapidly that the main item on their agenda agenda agenda agen agen- da a drastic cutback in nuclear weapons tooka took a backseat Meetings at the United Nations are also apace to evolve a peace process for Afghanistan The US has not formally formal formal- ly or directly involved India inthe in inthe inthe the political process relating t to Afghanistan despite acknowledging ing Indias India's contention that it has a stake because of its historical ties with Kabul TJ That at task is being handled mostly by the so-called so six plus two the six countries countries countries coun coun- tries bordering Afghanistan plus the United States and Russia A George Gissing said It is the mind which creates the world about us and even though we stand side by side in the same J IJ 11 i r p rf 0 I D y n I I T Lr 1 I I I I f 1 M J T T r J e by Carter Frandsen meadow my eyes will never see what is beheld by yours my heart will never stir to thee the e emotions by which yours is touched George Gissing's words describe in many ways the United States Government Our gove government ent entis is a bipolar organization divided by a conservative and anda a liberal mind What is the difference between these two factions Conservatives tend to maintain existing views conditions conditions conditions con con- or institutions A liberal liberal liberal lib lib- lib lib- eral as defined by Merriam- Merriam Webster is one who is open- open minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox traditional traditional traditional or established forms or ways An important issue I will discuss a lib liberal ral perspective perspective perspective tive of redistricting in the United States No person is completely completely completely com com- conservative or liberal but somewhere along a con con- However people do tend to support one ideal or orthe orthe orthe the other I believe change is necessary for our culture to grow and this makes me a lib lib- lib lib- eral One thing that our nation needs to change is redistricting This is a system that supports the party in power by allowing that party to change voting districts It is a system that does not fairly support or represent smaller cultures in inthe inthe inthe the state This is not fair in either a Democratic or Republican controlled state It divides the members of the weaker party in the state by disseminating them among other districts that have maj majorities of the controlling party's members x One problem that is currently in debate is using sample statistics for census In Ina a recent sample the Census Bureau had some to North Carolinas Carolina's population i and to Because of this inadequacy in districting districting districting district district- ing the United States Supreme Court recently decided that no sampled numbers from the US Census Bureau could be used for redistricting However the US U.S. Attorney General is fighting this recent law with a new legal challenge that is being heard on the I am glad that a federa federal federal fed fed- era eral power is finally taking a stance against a system that is not fair to the people in cere certain i tam tain e areas t that h. h at go against the dominant culture If a system system system tem is not fair it needs to be changed However in redistricting the community does not have a choice I believe in freedom and justice for all not freedom freedom free free- dom and justice as those in power see fit to distribute it Allowing people the ability to choose their representatives representatives representatives is the American way and I believe that the Supreme Court has created a law that better supports this ideal Carter is a student senator and intern intent with Governor Leavitts Leavitt's s e office V. 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