In his November 30 commentary (“The war in Afghanistan is a means to another end”) Firoz Osman makes outrageous claims concerning United States goals in the war on terrorism. According to Osman, the US attack on terrorism in Afghanistan is linked to oil in Central Asia rather than the brutal attacks on the US on September 11. Osman is wrong. This war has nothing to do with oil. US forces, together with those of our allies, are engaged in Afghanistan in the legitimate pursuit of self-defence, a right accorded to every country by the United Nations charter. On September 11 Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organisation were responsible for the premeditated murder of thousands of innocent people from 80 countries. Moreover, Bin Laden has repeatedly said he will attack American citizens and interests wherever and whenever he can. The US government has a right to defend the US and its people from an avowed and murderous enemy. That is what we are doing in Afghanistan. A close look at Osman’s claims makes plain that they are based on inaccurate information and falsehoods. Osman suggests that the US needs a friendly Afghanistan to secure access to Caspian Basin petroleum supplies. He is mistaken. Energy from the Caspian region is already being tapped and the leading proposal for a new oil pipeline would have it built to a terminal in Turkey and not involve Afghanistan at all. The proposal to construct a natural gas (not oil) pipeline through Afghanistan was dropped by Unocal, a US company, in 1998. The notion that Afghanistan is so crucial to the energy security of the US that military action was necessary is just not supported by the facts. Finally, I would like to emphasise one US goal in Afghanistan that is sometimes overlooked by Osman and others who look for conspiracies. The US is working to help the Afghan people to establish a broad-based government, rebuild their country and aid recovery from the Taliban’s murders and oppression. Importantly, America’s concern for the Afghanis did not begin on September 11. We have long been the leading donor of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Last year the US government provided more than $178-million in humanitarian aid to the Afghan people and thus far this year the US has provided more than $200-million in assistance to Afghanistan. Our efforts to help the country recover from the nightmare of the Taliban will continue for as long as they are needed. Robert Godec, Economic Minister Counselor, US Embassy, Pretoria