Let's call the whole thing off

Ever since I heard that Zardari and Karzai were scheduled to meet with Obama, it's been at the back of my mind to catch the news update on what happens in that meeting. Not that I thought that they would have an epiphany and solve global hunger or something, but to my rather simple and average mind it seemed like an important meeting (for the whole world, actually), which should have taken place long ago, but which for some inexplicable reason has never happened! 

So finally the meeting took place today (US time, which was last night India time) and this morning I read this report from CNN and this report from BBC .... which pretty much told me more or less the same things - that they all agreed to unite to fight and defeat the enemy, defined as al-Qaeda + the Taleban. Somehow, I expected more that very obvious outcome, though I'm not sure what that more was. Or is. 

On the other hand, I thought to myself, let's be kind to these gentlemen. Three different leaders with three different perspectives converging on the same topic ... are bound to need some time to agree on a common language first, before they can agree on a common problem definition using that common language. Which they need to do before they agree on a common solution to that common problem. 

Noting that CNN says 'Taliban' while BBC says 'Taleban', and one hyphenates al-Qaeda and the other doesn't, I am hoping that this initiative doesn't go the way of the line in the song by Louis Armstrong - "...tomato, tomahto, potato, potahto, let's call the whole thing off". It's OK if the news agencies don't agree on the spelling as long as the leaders agree in spirit, if not in letter.

P.S. CNN deserves a rap on the knuckles for using the word 'waiver' when they meant 'waver', while quoting Obama. One doesn't expect such malapropisms from CNN. Maybe they should get reporter who wrote that to take the TOEFL!

Posted via email from HyperActiveX's (Pre)Posterous Posts