ABSTRACT
In the "war on terrorism", alliances often include cultures where wartime behavior is practiced with different ground rules. The United States (US) pursues policies which advance democracy and capitalism in the process of furthering US interests throughout the world. Ignorance of the major tenets of a people's faith can lead to faulty political, military, and cultural policies. American students (and Americans in general) need to know more about other faiths. Attacks on Sikhs in the US — mistaken for Arabs and Muslims— show the depth and severity of the problem. The complex connections between Jews, Christians, and Muslims need to be explored. The differences between Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims should also be pursued if the Taliban destruction of sacred Buddhist sites, and if the Kashmir War, is to be understood. The chapter compares the situation in Afghanistan with the endings of WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.
