Noam Chomsky on US Expansion of Afghan Occupation, the Uses of NATO, and What Obama Should Do in Israel-Palestine

Democracy Now by Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman | Apr. 3, 2009 (News Analysis)

(Video) We’re now approaching the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, unification of Germany, first steps in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now, the alleged reason for NATO’s existence was to protect the West against a Russian assault. You can believe what you like about the reason, but that was the reason. By 1989, that reason was gone. So, why is there NATO? Full Story »

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by James Canning - Apr. 3, 2009

Noam Chomsky says Russia, Iran, China and other countries in the vicinity of Afghanistan want to take the lead in working out a solution to the instability, and they also want US military forces out of Central Asia. Chomsky says the new Israeli government is extrmely hostile to an independent Palestine which is the only solution available to the Israel/Palestine problem. He argues the US and EU should accept Hamas as a fact of life, and so should Israel. He questions the merits of Nato's continued existence.

The US should get out of Central Asia and let Iran, Russia and other countries in the vicinity of Afghanistan work out a solution to the instability there. Obama needs to tell Israel to get out of the West Bank and the Golan Heights. Nato continues to be important, but the Afghan quagmire is not the place for it to be so deeply involved. On the other hand, the US profile already is far too high in Afghanistan, so until the US draws down considerably, having the Brits, the Germans, the Canadians, et al., is quite helpful.