Two weeks earlier, in an article in The New York Times (February 26, 2006), it was revealed that a former deputy foreign secretary of the Taliban had been admitted at the Yale University and has been studying under a non-degree program for eight months now. Yes, a former official of the most dreaded terror group is now in America, and many Americans (and non-Americans as well) now wonder how in the world did he manage to get in?

Mr. Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, the former Taliban spokesman, was indeed fortunate to have landed in Yale instead of the Guantanamo Bay (A US prison camp) in Cuba. Despite having completed only up to fourth grade and a highschool equivalency degree, Mr. Rahmatullah was indeed more fortunate than thousands and thousands of well-rounded Americans who would give anything to get a slot at Yale or at least be waitlisted. According to the College Board of Admissions at Yale University, foreign students are required to score in the 700 to 790 range on both the SAT verbal and math tests, 600 on the TOEFL exam, and 250 on a computer exam. In addition, foreign students under special programs should be financially equipped to personally cover the expenses of their education, which include ,460 of matriculation fees plus ,540 for boarding costs. Reports say the Taliban spokesman’s entry into Yale has been through the goodwill and intervention of Mr. Mike Hoover, CBS cameraman whom Mr. Rahmatullah had made friends with. The Taliban student, reports say, is also being supported by Mr. Hoover in the financial requirements of his studies.

University alumni (who include President Bush himself) opined variedly, with some trying to find a logical explanation for the "special student’s’’ entry, while others vehemently calling attention on the unjust decision of the elite university. "Young America’s Foundation program officer, Yale alumnus, and former Army Captain Flagg Youngblood responds: ‘That my alma mater would embrace an ambassador from one of America’s declared and defeated enemies and in the same breath keep ROTC and military recruiters off campus shows where Yale’s allegiance falls. Yale’s actions show that they consider the US military more evil than the Taliban.’’

While it may be bewildering for Yale alumni and the world that a former official of a dismantled Taliban government is now a Yale University freshman, it is not, however, farfetched that people can change ideologies and viewpoints as they go through life. Looking upon our own situation in the Philippines, it is not inconceivable that erstwhile opposing groups can join forces in the efforts to topple the present administration. While we still analyze the alleged alliance between the Magdalo/MKP soldiers and the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas, the American public is still at a loss on how the Taliban spokesman could enter Yale University or how the Arabs will operate American seaports. Indeed, sometimes, national security concerns are not hard posts after all. Goodwill, ideological flexibility, and political convenience are sometimes unfigured factors in the dynamics of national security. (E-mail address: myrfnt@yahoo.com)