Winning Or Losing In Afghanistan?

If getting rid of Al Qaeda and the Taliban was the original purpose of the US and some NATO troops entering Afghanistan we sort of fulfilled our intent. However, trying to get rid of them totally is like trying to put your thumb down on a blob of mercury. You push your thumb on it once place it squeezes out and moves someplace else.

Militarily we can accomplish just so much--the main problem is poverty, illiteracy, and a lack of developed natural resources. Religion is always opportunistic, so add that to the mix. So all combined, there is a problem. Can we solve it? We can't even solve our own problem of unemployment and economic doldrums, so why are we thinking we can solve the Afghani's problems?

People have been living in the area for at least 20,000 years, and contrary to the myth that Afghanistan has never been dominated, it has been occupied by many conquerors; the Persians, Greeks, Mongols, to name a few. It is located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia: bordered by Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. It has a respectable amount of natural gas and about 3 billion barrels of oil. It is reported to have large amounts of gold, copper, coal, and iron. So far much of it undeveloped.

In order to eliminate the Taliban and Al Qaeda Afghanistan would need be transformed economically into a prosperous nation. With 40% of its population unemployed and 50% of the males literate, and 21% of the females literate, recruitment is relatively easy for Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The military option works for a short period of time but does very little to solve the long term problem of poverty.

Poppy growing is a problem too as it is one of the main agricultural cash crops, which by eliminating deprives farmers of money on the one hand and furnishes drugs to criminal elements in Europe and elsewhere on the other hand. So far other money crops have not been promoted as a substitute.

So far solutions have been short sighted and weak. Installing a democratic government might look progressive but it presents problems. Democracy depends on a literate and well informed public and a history of stability. In other words democracy doesn't develop overnight and without foundation. Hoping to form a democratic government, when the society is based on strong tribal ties and customs, is highly optimistic.

The main question then becomes what are we doing there and what is the goal? Can we build a new nation based on our idealism? If we left would Al Qaeda and the Taliban take over? If they did what would our options be? Afghanistan isn't the only place Al Qaeda can go--Somalia, Pakistan, Africa? We can't be everywhere. It seems that the best recourse to the problem is solving the main reason for attacks on the U.S. and its allies. Again we are looking at Israel, the festering thorn in Islam's side. So far we have been approaching the problem from a reactive perspective instead of a preventive proactive smart. A carrot and a stick anyone? Has anyone tallied up how much money has been spent on Israel's behalf; aside from the money gone to Israel directly? What is in it for the U.S.? I'm not being anti-Israel here but pointing out the simple fact that we are never going to be out of the Middle East and worrying about attacks such as 9/11 if we don't solve the Israel problem--the basis for all this grief. So the real question is, what are we going to do about the Israel/Arab problem? That is the real answer to Iraq and Afghanistan.