Afghanistan 2-25-2010

25, February 2010

                       

Dear Editor,            Afghanistan

The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan continues to mount shattering any real hope of winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of the local people. There is little doubt that the raw emotions of the local people has intensified against the occupation of their country. Last year this ill-defined mission has claimed the lives of a record number of Afghani civilians and US soldiers. The conflict is fast becoming the longest war in US history.

President Obama has twice enhanced troop levels making it more and more difficult to extricate ourselves from this sinking morass. There are currently 100,000 US and allied troops occupying Afghanistan. These have been augmented by 104,000 US ‘hired guns’ or mercenaries.


The war has not enhanced democracy and security and is fraught with poor intelligence gathering. The Taliban are not foreign imports – they are a militant group of fighters drawn together by a common purpose, namely to expel all foreign troops from their country. Our continued presence is propping up President Hamid Karzai who was ushered in on charges of massive fraud. He has recently issued a decree granting him oversight of a key election body, Afghanistan Electoral Complaints Commission, which will grant him dictatorial powers. Why are we supporting this man who has repeatedly demonstrated his utter disdain for democracy and the rule of law?