Hello everyone!
There are many voices in support of this recent escalation. So let me address this to everyone.
I apologize in advance, this is anther long one from me.
I don't know whether I am a pacifist or not. But I am sure no one here will have any grudge if somehow human race gets rid of wars as a means of resolving conflicts.
Less than 4000 people died in the ghastly attacks of 9/11. As a result, the Afghani civilians and Iraqis had to bear the brunt of the justifiable anger, neither of whom had anything to do with the 9/11 attacks.
We have been at war now for 8 years, and in more than 6 of them in two fronts. It is not surprising that a certain amount of war fatigue has set in. A majority of Americans now think the Afghan war is unwinnable, whatever "win" means.
ABC News/Washington Post poll says, "Among all adults, 51 percent now say the war is not worth fighting..."
Yet, according to a media watchdog group called FAIR, there is a near blackout of opinion in opposition to the war. If you look at the opinion pages of the corporate media you may think there is a broad consensus for the Obama strategy for escalation.
FAIR looked at the opinion pages of two powerful corporate media outlets. They say, the so called liberal bastion NY Times had 5 times as many opinion columns urging escalation viz a viz opposing it. In Washington Post the ratio is 10 to 1.
I do agree, Taliban are beasts. Their beastliness did not bother the US just as long as they perpetrated their beastliness on their own innocents. When Taliban was in power they were recognized by three governments, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. All three were and still are staunch allies of the U.S. In as much as Pakistani ISI was Taliban's only benefactor, it was U.S. who acted as Taliban's sugar daddy while they were hanging women and preventing little girls from going to school.
Now that beast is gone. Good riddance indeed, but sadly Bush and the chicken hawk Cheny (he took 5 deferments from serving in Vietnam because he had other important things to do with his life) wanted to fight another war. Now the Taliban is resurgent and threatening both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
With one beast gone, we have another beast now. The new beast is supported to the hilt by the U.S. and several western countries with life and treasure. It is this new beast that wanted to execute a mentally unstable person for the alleged crime of apostasy. It is this new beast that passed a law requiring a wife to give in to her husband's wishes, if they belong to the Shia sect. The law states, among other things,
"Obedience, readiness for intercourse and not leaving the house without the permission of the husband are the duties of the wife."
This is the nature of the new beast. This new beast may be under the US leach, but it is a nasty and corrupt beast, unconcerned about the ordinary Afghans.
America is the only remaining hegemonic power. In that sense it is indeed not an ordinary country. It does not use any of the crass techniques of bygone era. The methods they use now were quite openly touted by Bush/Cheney during their time. Now we have charmer. He charms his way. But not everyone is charmed. Look at the way he is handling Honduras. As we speak a Western Saharan activist is on a hunger strike to return to her homeland. She is near death as her strike is now on the 18th day. Her crime was refusing to sign a paper that she is a Moroccan. Secretary Clinton has praised Moroccans for their human rights record of all things.
In the din of all this rhetoric not many are concerned about what the ordinary Afghans want. According to the ABC news poll released in April 2009, all the indicators are moving in the wrong direction. An overwhelming majority of Afghans are still opposed to the old beast, but this opposition is slowly eroding with increasing NATO air-strikes, civilian casualties, and no tangible improvement in security. In spite of their opposition to the old beast, they want the new beast to negotiate with the old beast and come to some sort of understanding so that their suffering can end. This is what the Afghans want, if anyone cares. They don't want more troops, more war, more death and destruction.
We are not going to be rid of the jihadists anytime soon. That requires a sustained and nuanced strategy. Results will not be quick and will not be 100%. But one thing is sure, when it comes to jihadists threat, this escalation will only serve their cause.
From an Indian POV there is a tendency to view this in zero sum term. Anything that harms Pakistan is good for India. I think most Pakistanis are good people just as much as in India. I think it is a mistake to think of them Muslims. Think of them as our brothers and sisters. If only we can find a way to get along.
Cheers!
you are using a broad brush here, but I understand your frustration. Perhaps it is this frustration that is making my friend Raju to suggest the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
