Strong stands?

Matthew Hoy
By Matthew Hoy on November 30, 2001

I know it's late, but sometimes the silly things some people say just won't wait until morning.

In an interview Thursday morning with CNN's Paula Zahn, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) addressed the challenges facing women in Afghanistan.

You know during the Clinton administration, we took some very strong stands. We refused to recognize the Taliban. I and Secretary Albright and others were very vocal in saying that you can not recognize a regime that basically has imposed an apartheid system on half their population, which has attempted to deny women all their rights.

Refusing to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan was a strong stand? Before President Clinton left office was Denise Rich promising to make a big donation to the Clinton Presidential Library if Clinton pardoned her ex-husband, fugitive financier Marc Rich, AND recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan? Did Hillary and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright come stomping into the oval office saying: "Pardon her husband, but you must NOT recognize the Taliban!"

Three governments had recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Sen. Clinton loses what little credibility she still has when she attempts to rewrite history to give the Clinton administration some moral standing that it never had with regard to its dealings with Afghanistan. I truly believe that she does care about what happens to women in Afghanistan. But, the only time President Clinton did anything for Afghanistan was to blow up some tents using cruise missiles. Oddly enough, this happened about the same time that uncomfortable questions were being asked about his difficulty keeping his pants on.

Of course, sensible people don't buy this load of manure. Afghanistan's only woman general, Suhaila Siddiq, 60, a trained physician, says that people shouldn't be so preoccupied with the burkha, an all-enveloping veil women were forced to wear under Taliban rule.

"The first priority should be given to education, primary school facilities, the economy and reconstruction of the country but the West concentrates on the burkha and whether the policies of the Taliban are better or worse than other regimes. Let these things be decided by history."

Gen. Siddiq also has words for Sen. Clinton: "She cannot defend her own rights against her husband. How can she defend the rights of my country?"

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