2008.09.18: September 18, 2008: Headlines: Figures: COS - Afghanistan: University Education: Gateway: Thomas Gouttierre spoke on Afghan terrorism on 9/11

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Afghanistan: Special Report: Afghanistan Expert RPCV Thomas Gouttierre: February 9, 2005: Index: PCOL Exclusive: RPCV Thomas Gouttierre (Afghanistan) : 2008.09.18: September 18, 2008: Headlines: Figures: COS - Afghanistan: University Education: Gateway: Thomas Gouttierre spoke on Afghan terrorism on 9/11

By Admin1 (admin) (70.135.11.240) on Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 10:48 am: Edit Post

Thomas Gouttierre spoke on Afghan terrorism on 9/11

Thomas Gouttierre spoke on Afghan terrorism on 9/11

Afghanistan is a country characterized by a congested Kabul from which non-governmental and government organizations alike cannot migrate given the failure of security in the provinces, Gouttierre said. Its agriculture focuses on opium poppies rather than on the wheat and rice production of the past. The country, Gouttierre said, has also been hijacked by the Taliban, whose influence is most powerful over those in poverty, without access to education and without employment and training opportunities. Gouttierre said corruption is rampant and donated funds are often misappropriated. He proposed that utilization of the Afghans themselves would be necessary in securing a more stable Afghanistan. This would not only fight unemployment, it would also fight the economic pull towards opium poppy production. The susceptibility of the populace to the Taliban's influence, Gouttierre postulated, would likewise be eased. Figuring prominently in Gouttierre talk was an area called the Land of Pashtun, an extremely rugged, 1,500 mile stretch to which much terrorist activity has been traced. He mentioned these as the mountains along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden has long been suspected of hiding. Gouttierre singled out Pakistan as the No. 1 issue in terms of the war on terror. That country's worldview, he explained, is one totally bent towards dealings with India and, without the protection that can only be afforded by a stable Pakistan, Afghanistan won't be able to progress. "There's no state in the union that knows more per capita about Afghanistan than Nebraska," Gouttierre said. Thomas Gouttierre, dean of International Studies and Programs and director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Afghanistan in the 1960's.

Thomas Gouttierre spoke on Afghan terrorism on 9/11

Gouttierre spoke on Afghan terrorism on 9/11

Liz E. Rogers

Issue date: 9/19/08 Section: News

Last Thursday on the anniversary of 9/11, Thomas Gouttierre, dean of the UNO International Studies Department, gave a talk about terrorism at Creighton University.

Gouttierre's lecture, titled "Afghanistan at a Crossroads: Between Terror and Democracy," brought up such issues as Afghanistan's cultural heritage, the current security problems in the country's provinces and the complex composition of the Middle Eastern countries of Iraq, Iran, Israel, Palestine and Pakistan.

In regard to the culture of Afghanistan, Gouttierre spoke about the country's historical title as "the crossroads of Asia," its historical ties to and belief in democratic governance and the richness of its Indo-European, Arabic-scripted language. He mentioned that in Afghanistan today there are mosques and minarets which date back to Tamerlane.

Gouttierre's lecture also brought up Afghanistan's various troubles.

Afghanistan is a country characterized by a congested Kabul from which non-governmental and government organizations alike cannot migrate given the failure of security in the provinces, Gouttierre said. Its agriculture focuses on opium poppies rather than on the wheat and rice production of the past.

The country, Gouttierre said, has also been hijacked by the Taliban, whose influence is most powerful over those in poverty, without access to education and without employment and training opportunities.

Gouttierre said corruption is rampant and donated funds are often misappropriated. He proposed that utilization of the Afghans themselves would be necessary in securing a more stable Afghanistan. This would not only fight unemployment, it would also fight the economic pull towards opium poppy production.

The susceptibility of the populace to the Taliban's influence, Gouttierre postulated, would likewise be eased.

Figuring prominently in Gouttierre talk was an area called the Land of Pashtun, an extremely rugged, 1,500 mile stretch to which much terrorist activity has been traced. He mentioned these as the mountains along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden has long been suspected of hiding.

Gouttierre singled out Pakistan as the No. 1 issue in terms of the war on terror. That country's worldview, he explained, is one totally bent towards dealings with India and, without the protection that can only be afforded by a stable Pakistan, Afghanistan won't be able to progress.

"There's no state in the union that knows more per capita about Afghanistan than Nebraska," Gouttierre said.

Gouttierre backed this claim with a list of programs that exist in this state including the Center for Afghanistan Studies, which he directs at UNO; the work of the Omaha Knights of Columbus and the National Guard; the UNMC Health Education Project in Afghanistan; and the contributions of the Rotary Club.

The lecture, presented by the Asian World Center and the Werner Institute for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at Creighton, was part of the AWC Distinguished Lecture and Werner Institute Speaker Series.




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: September, 2008; Figures; Peace Corps Afghanistan; Directory of Afghanistan RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Afghanistan RPCVs; University Education; Nebraska





When this story was posted in September 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers RSS Feed
Peace Corps Suspends Program in Bolivia Date: September 16 2008 No: 1264 Peace Corps Suspends Program in Bolivia
Turmoil began in Bolivia three weeks ago sparked by President Evo Morales' pledge to redistribute wealth from the east to the country's poorer highlands. Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from the country because of "growing instability." Morales has thrown out US Ambassador Philip Goldberg accusing the American government of inciting the violence. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia.


 Contact PCOL Search PCOL with Google Site Index Recent Posts Bulletin Board Open Discussion RPCV Directory Register
September 1, 2008: This Month's Top Stories Date: September 1 2008 No: 1259 September 1, 2008: This Month's Top Stories
Eric Green writes: 2008 Election helps US Image Worldwide 28 Aug
Tschetter meets with President Arroyo in Philippines 29 Aug
Hill's new approach is an unsung success story 29 Aug
Jackie Theriot served as PCV in Togo 25 Aug
Therese Abalo became beekeeper to join Peace Corps 24 Aug
Obituary for Pauline Birky-Kreutzer 23 Aug
Peace Corps to Pare Ranks of Volunteers 22 Aug
George Packer writes play about Iraqi occupation 22 Aug
Martin Puryear retrospective at the National Gallery of Art 22 Aug
Elaine Chao heads final 2008 Olympic delegation 21 Aug
J R Bullington writes: Reinvigorate the Peace Corps 19 Aug
Faith Van Gilder returns to Botswana 18 Aug
Bill Owens still turning suburbs into art 18 Aug
Amy Smith hosts International Development Design Summit 17 Aug
McCain calls for greater volunteerism 17 Aug
Sarah Chayes writes: Afghans don't support insurgency 16 Aug
Maurice Albertson remembers origins of Peace Corps 15 Aug
John Perkins "hit man" is now documentary movie 15 Aug
Brian Connors helps local farmers in Malawi 13 Aug
Dr. Peter Davenport no stranger to rural health issues 13 Aug
Jeremiah Johnson tells story of HIV termination 8 Aug

New: More Stories from July and August 2008

PCVs Evacuated from Georgia Date: August 19 2008 No: 1254 PCVs Evacuated from Georgia
The Peace Corps has announced that all Volunteers and trainees serving in the Republic of Georgia are safe and they have been temporarily relocated to neighboring Armenia. Read the analysis by one RPCV on how Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili believed that he could launch a lightning assault on South Ossetia and reclaim the republic without substantial grief from Moscow and that Saakashvili's statements once the war began demonstrated that he expected real Western help in confronting Russia.

August 6, 2008: This Month's Top Stories Date: August 6 2008 No: 1250 August 6, 2008: This Month's Top Stories
PC in Budget Crunch may cut PCVs by 5% 5 Aug
Garamendi first to announce run for governor in 2010 2 Aug
Bob and Pat Parish receive president’s award 31 Jul
Sam Brownback removes block on Kathleen Stephens 31 Jul
Peace Corps Removes Ban on HIV-Positive Volunteers 31 Jul
RPCVs organize online for Obama 31 Jul
Peace group awards perfect rating to Sam Farr 29 Jul
How Hill used back channels to negotiate Korean agreement 27 Jul
Voter surge may hurt Shays 26 Jul
Matthew A. Hamilton writes: A Shadow on Ararat 25 Jul
Gates says Tools of inspiration are indispensable 15 Jul
An interview with Composer Gabriela Lena Frank 13 Jul
Ginny Farmer to swim in Olympics for American Samoa 11 Jul
Dodd is possible vice presidential candidate 11 Jul
Carl Pope supports the Pickens Plan 8 Jul
George Packer writes: Obama’s Iraq Problem 7 Jul
An Interview with PCOL 4 Jul
Ifugao hopes for tourism boost after Campbell Trial 3 Jul
Peace Corps To Quit Kiribati 3 Jul
Tony Hall asks: Where is moral outrage over food crisis? 3 Jul
Wofford raises awareness about global poverty 2 Jul

New: More Stories from June and July 2008



Read the stories and leave your comments.








Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Gateway

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Afghanistan; University Education

PCOL42213
38


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: