"...the Taliban have tracked down thieves and executed them. They leave the corpses on display to warn the others. People feel safe again and this has boosted their support... Just a couple of weeks ago they killed the father of a UN staff member, even though the village elders pleaded for his life. Nowhere is safe now. There are dozens of suicide bombings every week."
Either poorly conveyed by the writer or reflecting confusion by the interviewee/subject, this doesn't constitute a credible assessment of Afghanistan's condition.
It was interesting to watch a story about a girl's soccer team in Kabul recently. A very traditionally dressed sixteen year old was discussing an experience she'd had with a fellow female teenage passenger on a city bus. She, a school student and soccer player was riding next to a girl neither allowed to play soccer nor ATTEND school. Both girls, residents of Kabul, seemed surprised at the existence of these varied condition within their own city. The story was accompanied by a variety of images of Afghani women in Kabul during the sixties wearing MINI-SKIRTS openly and unafraid. In short, a very modern contradiction to our often misplaced stereotypes and notions.
I'll be interested to see how U.S. ground forces redeploy over the next eighteen months as regional conditions and considerations begin shifting. Iraq and Iran obviously influence those possible redeployments. There's little doubt in my mind that we need far more American forces in Afghanistan than are currently stationed.
Cactus says,
"So yes, there is a good chance of success..."
What's success? Not to be a smart-ass but do we REALLY know what our objectives are in Afghanistan? I'd love to have a cultural anthropologist explain this from CJTF-82 (OEF)'s website-
"Army Capt. Don Canterna, Bravo Co.’s commander, talked with Khangul and village elders until dusk.
The village elder’s main concern is land mines from the Soviet War that continue to plague the area. Rival farmers are digging up old land mines to replant in rival fields in an attempt to kill off the competition.
“Except they’re hurting more kids than farmers,” explained a village elder."
TF Fury Patrols Pachir Wa Agam District
I thought that I'd read it all until just now. Stunning.
