8/2/2022

JRB,

            How are you feeling? Still testing positive? Did you catch Jimmy Fallon’s monologue last night? He joked, “Right now, Biden’s looking on the bright side. He’s like, ‘Well, at least my Covid got a second term… “That’s right, the virus came back so fast, staffers didn’t even have time to take down the ‘Get well soon’ balloons.””

            Why are you so proud of the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri? Even though he may have been Osama bin Laden’s deputy & involved in planning 9/11, I do not believe that killing ever solves anything.  Furthermore, this is an extrajudicial execution. He did not have a trial. No one presented a case against him. You wanted him killed & so it was done. That’s worse, in some ways, than what the junta did to U Kyaw Min Yu & U Phyo Zeya Thaw. At least they had a “trial.”

            I agree with Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid who called the killing a violation of "international principles". How do you justify sending weapons into a foreign land to do the killing? I would freak out if I heard that the Taliban sent a drone into DC to kill you because they decided you were an enemy that needed to be eliminated.

            In their analysis of the US’ relations with Afghanistan, the NYT concluded, “America succeeded at the tactical, but not at the strategic….Al-Zawahri is gone. The Taliban still rule.” This reminds me of what the founder of the Religious Society of Friends, is known to have said, “you can’t kill the devil with a gun or a sword.” I hope you will keep that in mind & not delude yourself into thinking that the world is a safer place with the death of one man.

            As ASEAN meets this week to discuss the future of the region, please make sure that Sec. State Blinken does all he can to advocate for a peaceful transition back to democracy in Burma.

            BYBS,

            RCA