Retaliation likely, cautions expert on Afghanistan

Friday, Aug. 21, 1998 | 10:46 a.m.

An internationally recognized expert on Afghanistan believes the United States can expect retaliation for yesterday's bombing of terrorist camps in that impoverished Middle Eastern nation and of a chemical plant in Sudan.

"I feel that we need to do what we can to safeguard Americans and diminish the prospect of terrorist attacks, but we have to expect a reaction," said Thomas E. Gouttierre.

Gouttierre is dean of International Studies and Programs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is the director of ISP's Center for Afghanistan Studies, which was established almost 25 years ago and is the only institutional base in the United States exclusively concerned with Afghanistan affairs.

Before becoming the center's director almost from its inception, Gouttierre spent 10 years in Afghanistan as a member of the Peace Corps, a Fulbright Fellow and Executive Director of the Fulbright Foundation.

The University maintains offices in Afghanistan and is involved in an on-going effort to help the nation reconstruct its economy and its infrastructure after almost two decades of war, beginning with the 1980 invasion by the U.S.S.R.

Gouttierre was in contact with those offices shortly after the bombing of four terrorist training camps, a base camp and a supply depot at the Zhawar Kili Al-Badr Camp 96 miles south of Kabul and the Shifa Pharmaceutical Plant on the eastern edge of Khartoum in Sudan.

There were mixed emotions coming from Afghanistan people, according to Gouttierre.

He said that even though 95 percent of the Muslim world, including those in Afghanistan, may agree with America's decision to retaliate against terrorists, few may publicly state their support.

Generally speaking, the Afghan population likes America and appreciates its help in rebuilding.

The attacks were aimed at the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, who escaped injury during the raid. Laden is being protected by the ruling government, called the Taliban, but the attack was not against the government.

Gouttierre said most Muslims are opposed to terrorism and don't support Laden, but "there is a David and Goliath mentality," in which many Muslims see the most powerful country in the world going after a small, radical faction.

Overall, according to Gouttierre, most of the 13 million Afghan residents probably know little or nothing about the attacks because there is no communication system to speak of.

Gouttierre said he was not surprised that there was an attack by the United States, noting that government had been sending signals since the attacks against two U.S. embassies in East Africa -- including removing Americans from Afghanistan's neighbor, Pakistan, and public comments about Laden's role in the embassy bombings.