Thoughts on Afghanistan

Clear.
Hold.
Build.
Repeat.
Such is a day in the life of an American soldier somewhere in Afghanistan. Roads are laid down, schools are put up, medical treatments are given out and a bond has been created and continues to be strengthened between the Afghan people and the international military personnel living there.

Since the United States established a formal ground presence in the country nearly nine years ago, Afghanistan has shown much improvement. Through cash injection, the economy has been strengthened. Death squads which once roamed the streets killing each other in addition to innocent civilians have now been employed as local security forces, defending their home turf. This has made two contributions to Afghan improvement. First, it has strengthened the economy by creating jobs and therefore increasing cash flow. Secondly, to the safety of both Afghans and military personnel alike because rather than being paid ten dollars a day by the Taliban to become “ten dollar Talibs” and work as foot soldiers, they are being paid more per day for actual work. The abduction and trafficking in teenage boys for purpose of forced military service has greatly decreased. General conditions, welfare and rights of Afghan women have greatly improved. Overall, Afghanistan has become a much safer place.

This is not, however, the Afghanistan we see daily on television. The media chooses to instead show continued fighting, military failures and the much smaller, but present nonetheless, negative side of American involvement in the country. Such manipulation has caused public opinion of the war to falter and gradually drop. Critics say the people don’t want us there, we are achieving nothing and that the war has gone on too long. Are they correct?

When Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld warned Americans people that we would be entering into a long war, no one really understood what “a long war” meant. The first Gulf War in 1991 was really the first so-called war that had ever been viewed in virtual real-time. Lasting only 96 hours, it really fooled America in regards to military might. Because of this misconception, Americans expected another 96-hour conflict. Obviously, this is not what they got.

Critics are only partially correct when they state that the people of Afghanistan do not want us there. First, one muster understand that there is no such thing as an ethnic Afghan. There are 35 different ethnic groups represented in Afghanistan, the Taliban are the ones who do not want us there, and they only make up a portion of a single ethnic group, the Pashtun. Most ordinary civilians do want an American presence because it is that presence that is keeping them safe.

Finally, there is the critique that nothing is being achieved. In terms of nation building, this is absolutely false. As shown in the second paragraph, Afghanistan as a whole is becoming a much better place to live. In terms of military objectives, this statement is correct to a point. However, it is not because our military forces do not have the capability to achieve victories and finish this fight. It is because our military forces are not allowed to do what is needed to win this war. In addition, American troops currently provide security from the Taliban for farmers, allowing them to grow crops other than opium (an industry that the Taliban is making $125 million a year on). This is slowly cutting down on the global trade in opiates and heroin.

Success in Afghanistan is obtainable. The current efforts to train Afghans to be capable of governing their own nation must be continued. Security forces and police forces are being created, and an Afghan government is already in place. The only way to success is through working with the indigenous peoples. Only after this process of education is finished will we be able to withdraw from the country.