There exists extremists in both groups....

Dear Aziz,

Thank you for the very good insight. It goes to show that the problems that exist in Afghanistan cannot be distilled down to something simple as is the West continually tries to do. We Westerners generally like things simple so we can better understand them. It would be better for us to understand the people and context of the situation, while complicated, it would at least help us to help you better.

As to the Pasthun, it would appear that Paktoonwali actually holds them back from furthering their progress in a modern world. Is that a fair statement?

Afghanistan has been a key between the East and West for centuries. The Silk Road met with the European trade routes in Afghanistan. The people have been conquered as you not and subject to tremendous outside pressures for generations. As the Pasthun have generally been the power, their "selling out" of the country because of their perceived lack of resources and value has not allowed the full integration of all the Afghan peoples from what I have been able to read.

The West's lack of understanding is the result that we have never looked at Afghan history. Until this conflict I would suggest that most Americans did not even know the country existed. It has also astounded me that the works by Louis and Nancy Dupree, Sir Olaf Caroe, Hassan Kakar, Charles Allen, and James Spainare unknown to the vast majority. We know of the Soviet intervention but not many people understand what surrounded it, the political climate in Kabul or what happened after the Soviets withdrew. I am always amazed to find people who don't know what have during the 30 years of conflict that has gone on in Afghanistan or the impact of that conflict on at least two generations of Afghans.

I appreciate your insight about the Sunni and Shiite. I concur with the fact that there exists extremists in both groups, just as there exists extremists in almost ever grouping of people in the world. We see the same in religious circles here too, as those who standfast to views and dogma without fully understanding the position. I am not sure that we can overcome that and as a result we will continue to find conflict when intolerance is practiced. This should mean that tolerance is necessarily extended to all thinking, it is striking the balance that we find as difficult as you in Afghanistan.

Thank you again,

Rob