In response to FOREIGN AFFAIRS: The next catastrophe - Afghanistan by
With the US economy in turmoil, the election campaign nearing the end, and the Iraq war relegated to the back pages, we ignore to our peril a potentially catastrophic US military policy now being implemented in Afghanistan.
The current consensus in higher political circles, including both major-party candidates for president, is that the war in Afghanistan must be...
I think the point is that the war is the problem. Just like the stated reasons for invading Iraq were a total sham, the stated reasons for occupying Afghanistan (Overthrowing the Taliban, "saving" Afghan women, killing Osama Bin Laden) are total shams as well.
In fact, the US presence in Afghanistan is a road block for a genuine, democratic movement. Lets not forget, that the US funded the Mujaheddin against the Russians, giving the Islamist current money and resources to out organize any secular or moderate alternative. If we're going to claim that the Afghan people are to blame for 9/11, then using such spurious logic, you would have to conclude the US government's funding and training were much more responsible for the rise of Al-Queda than any Afghan farmer or student.
I think we can look at the protests in Pakistan over the firing and manipulation of the courts by Musharraf as an example of a movement that could be built if country's were not under the direct boot of occupation. But in fact, the occupation smothers any attempt at organizing a mass movement and drives people underground, toward the groups who are well armed and organized such as the Taliban.
You can't build water treatment plants with M9's and armored Humvee's, you can't build homes with laser guided missiles. Claming women's liberation as a mission is a cruel joke if Afghani mothers can't send their kids to school, travel to work safely, or even get married without the threat of being bombed from the skies. If we are truly to stand in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, we should do them a favor and help remove US troops from their soil, immediately.
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