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Afghanistan…The Coming War?
Are we ignoring the first country to fall in our war on terrorism?
The private word from the people who are closest to these things is that Iraq is doing slightly better than most Americans think it is, and Afghanistan is in much more danger than most of us realize. Chances are you’ll be seeing more about it in the months to come, and it won’t be purple-fingered “good news.�
Unfortunately this makes sense because we’ve ignored this country. Will it get worse still?
Stay tuned.
4 Responses to “Afghanistan…The Coming War?”
Please remember that Afghanistan became the graveyard of Communist dream as coloured by the Soviet Union, and later led to its disintegration. The details mentioned in the post above may appear startling but not unfamiliar.
The massive Soviet attacks were repulsed by Afghans using primitive weapons. In history no one has so far been able to subdue these fearless and independent Afghans. The terrain and the atmosphere is so hostile that the soldiers from the US and Europe would take years to return to their usual self and be able to lead a normal family life.
The Afghans have a different culture. You may call them “barbaric�, but that’s the way they are. I have a strong feeling that the repercussion of this war would later have serious economic, social and political consequences for the capitalist countries too. It is a matter of time, and Afghans have shown their patience and resilience down the centuries.
In this futile war, probably being fought for geo-political/market reasons or sheer need to show the muscle power, the Western nations are putting at risk their own open societies and the economic wellbeing of their people. Pray what markets will you have in the bloodied terrain of Iraq and Afghanistan, with not a day passing without a terrorist attack.
So if you don’t leave the Afghanis to their way of life, one day you would discover that your way of life is seriously theatened. I am afraid that day may not be very far!!!
Does “leave the Afghanis to their way of life” mean abandon the nascent democracy? The government that people voted for?
Abandon this for a bunch of fascist theologians who want to return to a world free of dissent and free thought. Now there’s a great idea.
How about this instead: we send more soldiers to back up the democratically elected government, the one the people actually want, and help defend it against the Pakistan-based Taliban? Oh yeah, that’s what we’re doing….
If the Taliban want to run the country again – let them lay down their weapons and try to get elected. Know why they won’t do that? It’s to do with the “elected” part….
My greatest fear in all of this, is that due to tribalism, extreme religious fundamentalism, and long-steeped traditions many of the countries in the Middle East are either not ready or not suited for democracy. Both Afghanistan and Iraq voted in a constitution based on islamic law-not the ideas of the enlightenment-liberty, equality and pursuit of happiness like ours is.
A Christian convert was almost put to death in the newly “democratic” Afghanistan, until Condi Rice intervened. The convert was spirited away by special forces, but Afghanis rioted for days because of Western interference.
I’m sure many in both countries were glad to be rid of the Taliban and a vicious dictator like Saddam, but that doesn’t mean they want Western-style democracy.
The Taliban aren’t Afghans. The Taliban troops are largely foreign, their philosophy is Arab, and their support base is Pakistani. One of the reasons the Taliban were defeated so easily is that they were regarded as “The Arabs” by most Afghans. Afghanistan may be in for some hard times to come, but at least for the moment they’re being governed by their fellow Afghans.