User talk:Doldrums/Sandbox

interview
I am sorely tempted to rip the guts out of this interview right now, but I won't because the existing Q & A will need to be put on the discussion page (as exerpts).

Let us not forget the motivation of Mr. Hakeem, that is central to the introduction and resulting interview. -Edbrown05 11:54, 23 April 2007 (UTC)


 * The motivation is something along the lines of, and I seem to be amiss of the exact email stating this at this moment, that he wants to be the "point person" in distribution of American funds in the NWFP. -Edbrown05 12:05, 23 April 2007 (UTC)
 * hmmm, there's still some stuff to be merged. while the motivation shld be mentioned, i'm not sure about making it central - our interview (certainly my questions) focused on other things and Mr. Hakeem's motivations are of less interest to readers than what he saw and what he knows, i think. –Doldrums(talk) 12:31, 23 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Notice OhMyNews introduction to Maulana Abdul Aziz: short, quick, to the point. -Edbrown05 12:43, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

But my point is, now that we have a background and some understanding, the hard questions come. -Edbrown05 12:59, 23 April 2007 (UTC)
 * we already have a pretty big article. i'm not sure how we'll be able to cut back from it to allow more Q/As to be added. if you think it can be done, pls go ahead. –Doldrums(talk) 13:43, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Actually my motivation is a hope that someone at State will recognize that I have a deep understanding of the area, and call on my expertize to help set policy for the area. I wish to duplicate for the Pakistan side of the Durand line what Zalmay Khalilzad - a Pashtun- did for the Afghan side of the Durand line. My fear is that after the US has extricated itself from Iraq it will find re-newed vigor in looking for a military solution in this area. That will be a bigger mistake than Iraq is right now - as I say somewhere in the interview, the US needs to develop a Pashtun Policy instead of an Afghan and a Pakistan policy initiatives. The reason is that in Afghanistan the majority of the population is Pashtun, as is Hamid Karzai and you cant run a democracy without involving the majority. On the Pakistan side, all the troubles lie in the FATA, which are 100% Pashtun. So no matter how you want to solve this problem it will have to involve the Pashtun people. And this is where America could use my services, and indeed I am soliciting for my services to be used. Not even the Pakistani's understand the Pashtun. Example: They still call them by the British name -Pathans. In this as in life, I follow the advice of St Francis of Assisi ... seek first to understand, than to be understood.RHakeem


 * It needs some introduction as to why Mr Hakeem visited the region, one or two sentences should be enough. Then - I think - it should be published, flagged exclusive, and put as 2nd or 3rd lead.  The original interview should be put on a /Notes sub-page and linked to from the talk; this page should be moved to a /Development sub-page and also linked from talk.  I'd also be tempted to stick a link to it on some wikipedia pages. ;-) --Brian McNeil / talk 08:23, 4 May 2007 (UTC)


 * This user page is an essay, not a news report. -Edbrown05 08:37, 4 May 2007 (UTC)


 * As an effort to explain my prior comment, I think the opening is missing the why. With that in place the rest of the article will make more sense as a news report. --Brian McNeil / talk 08:46, 4 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Understood Brian, but the interview is where it's at for now. Mr. Hakeem, and the role he could assume, is more fully conveyed by the interview itself. -Edbrown05 08:56, 4 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Let me have a re-read of what we've got so far and see if it can be condensed to make room for more of the interview. The interview itself is difficult to read because the responses aren't particularly pithy. --Brian McNeil / talk 09:03, 4 May 2007 (UTC)


 * "This user page is an essay, not a news report." have a look at the Special Reports on BBC News. for eg., . –Doldrums(talk) 09:11, 4 May 2007 (UTC)
 * No thank you. -Edbrown05 09:13, 4 May 2007 (UTC)
 * This is all fodder to what RHakeem said. Use it for future use. I hope something comes of it. It's time to publish the interview. -Edbrown05 09:22, 4 May 2007 (UTC)
 * And I think it comes down to that I'll be goddamned if a cursory story will replace a bona fide interview. -Edbrown05 09:40, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

Status
I'm curious, what's the status on this evolving into an article? It reads well and I think just needs a little polish prior to publishing. --Brian McNeil / talk 12:18, 3 May 2007 (UTC)