- Image by azrainman via Flickr
At the same time that U.S. troops in Afghanistan are putting their lives on the line fighting Taliban and al Qaida insurgents, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Kabul. As could be expected, Ahmadinejad has taken this opportunity to sharply criticize the U.S. for its military presence in Afghanistan, and to emphasize that Americans will never be able to bring peace to Afghanistan through military means. The Iranian President further stated that the presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is only escalating tensions and creating a higher level of instability. In response to Mr. Ahmadinejad’s remarks, Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, accused the Iranian leader of playing a “double game” in Afghanistan by professing support for the Afghan government while undermining U.S.-led efforts to improve the government and stabilize the country. As accusations fly back and forth between Washington and Tehran, the real truth of the matter is that Hamid Karzai is the one playing the “double game”.
- Image by World Economic Forum via Flickr
The Karzai government has received billions of dollars of foreign assistance by playing off Iran against the United States, and all the while enjoying protection from his enemies by the U.S. military. Out of one side of his mouth, Karzai thanked Ahmadinejad for his long-time assistance, and called the Islamic state a “real friend”. Out of the other side of his mouth he thanked Secretary Gates for American help in fighting off insurgents, and called America a friend of Afghanistan. Even as U.S. troops are engaging in deadly battles in the southern provinces, Mr. Karzai is discussing with Ahmadinejad the possibility of building a railroad linking Iran and Tajikistan through Afghanistan.
It should come as no surprise that the Afghan government is interested in building a stronger alliance with their Muslim brothers in Iran. Not only do both countries share a thousand mile border, but Iran, being the dominant power in the region, is clearly in a position to influence internal policy in Afghanistan when the time is right. At the present time, Tehran is content to let American blood be spilled battling the insurgents, knowing full well that when the battle is over, and American troops leave the region, the Afghans will elect a pro-Iranian government. For the Iranians, what cannot be reasonably obtained on the battlefield will be eventually be obtained through the ballot box.
-Rich
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Tags: Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Politics of Afghanistan, Taliban, United States, United States Secretary of Defense
Big Ben Roethlisberger has become our hometown hero as one of the best Quarterbacks in football. He helped the Steelers win games when it was so close, they may not have had that win in their column. We have held him up high as he himself raised the bar in football and raised the Lombardi Trophy over our city. Pittsburgh loves its heroes and Ben has been one who helped a city which is re-inventing itself, to promote that positive image. We stand by our own, even when many others give up. Now, however, he has once again brought questions about his character and may have lowered the bar in his personal lifestyle.
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
In 2006 he nearly lost his life due to not wearing a helmet while riding and crashing his motorcycle. We chalked it up to his youth and rallied for his recovery. Then a hostess in Nevada accused Ben of sexually assaulting her. She had failed to file a police report and Ben denied the accusations. They settled out of court and many chalked this one up to a wanton woman wanting money from a Super (and rich) hero. The latest of Ben’s escapades, however, has us shaking our heads, talking in coffee shops and wondering whether Big Ben has been off-sides in personal life, thereby casting aspersions not only on himself, but on football, the Rooneys and this city of Pittsburgh.
As a woman I ask myself why a woman would go to the police and file a report of sexual assault, when we know that in courts, many women are re-victimized as every aspect of their personal life is examined and dissected in the search for her as being complicit. It is a humiliating process for women, and one does not take this step lightly. The twenty year old college student who happened to be in the same bar in Milledgeville, Georgia last week as Ben Roethlisberger, has taken the steps of filing a complaint of sexual assault against him with the police, hiring an attorney and thereby subjecting herself to scrutiny which will be denigrating and up-heaving. Ben has hired one of the top attorneys in Atlanta. Another high-profile case has begun, and this time it is not Tiger Woods or one of the Washington politicians. It is Big Ben, hometown hero.
The investigation continues and Ben is innocent until proven guilty. That is the law. What the law does not cover is that this 28 year old man should have better judgment. Whether he likes it or not, with the victories come the spoils and that should not include rotten behavior which denotes lack of character. Certainly he is no newcomer to fame. Whether on the field or off the field, he has a responsibility to conduct himself properly. He may be innocent. She may be seeking money. But this time, this time, Ben has us all wondering whether he deserves the status he has attained.
—cher
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Tags: Atlanta, Ben Roethlisberger, Big Ben, courts, Georgia, Milledgeville Georgia, Nevada, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sexual assault
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