The special report on Afghanistan (MER 202) left me somewhat bemused. The author, Olivier Roy, may be a skilled anthropologist, but his political analysis can be seriously flawed and quite inconsistent. I was glad to see his article identify US economic and political interests (the oil and gas pipeline) in Afghanistan, but Roy never before questioned American motives -- certainly not when the US government and the CIA were aiding the mujahidin during the 10-year civil war (1979-1989) and afterwards.