Basiji

Is the Basiji analogous to Hitler’s Brown Shirts?

South Asia

If the United States is to be a part of the solution to the violence and terror in south Asia, there must be a coming together of large groups committed to solving the problem.

The United Nations, NATO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization must work together to ameliorate the conditions causing the problems.  I am talking about eight different countries that are predominatly Shia Muslim.  In no specific order, they include: Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan plus the disputed India-Pakistan border region of Kashmir.

Piece-meal attempts in one country tend to fail because of cross-border tribal affiliations.  For example:  Pashtuns live in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.  Uzbeks live in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan.  There are regional,issues that need to be addressed as such.

In the short-term I feel that President Obama is best served by silence on the events in Iran.  The United States will have to work with whomever it is that emerges as the government and we do not need to create problems unnecessarily.

A long-term, adequately-funded international effort needs to begin.  While every country has somewhat different problems, increased security is needed to protect against extremist elements while infratructure and nation-building are in the beginning stages.

Bringing electric power 24/7 and education to areas with literacy rates below twenty percent is essential.  While in the end the United States needs to pull out and not appear to be a occupying power.