US rhetoric dangerously out of step with realities on the ground in Afghan

[Judi Lynn]

US rhetoric dangerously out of step with realities on the ground in Afghanistan


by Zia Sarhadi

The announcement by US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld during a brief visit to Kabul on May 1, to the effect that the military phase of the campaign in Afghanistan is over, took American soldiers in the country by surprise. US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage got an even ruder reception when he visited Kabul for a few hours a week later. As he landed in Kabul a massive explosion rocked the city. Armitage, himself a military man, was told that this was business as usual in Kabul.

Kabul is supposed to be relatively safe because of the presence of some 11,000 foreign troops from the US, Australia, Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, who are regularly involved in firefights with Taliban and al-Qa?ida supporters. In August this duty will be taken over by forces from NATO, which has now been assigned a new role as an extension of the US military.

It may be recalled that when the Americans were going to attack Afghanistan in October 2001, they spurned offers of help from NATO member-states. Now the Americans want help from NATO because they themselves are involved virtually daily in fights outside Kabul. On May 7 the UN suspended mine-clearing operations after its workers came under fire near Qandahar, leaving one Afghan dead and three injured.

Rumsfeld?s claim that everything is under control was belied by Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN special representative in Afghanistan, who said in his report to the Security Council last month that "there are many signs that the security situation throughout Afghanistan is worsening." Inter-ethnic and inter-factional strife, harassment and intimidation were cited as some of the reasons. An Asian diplomat has made similar observations: 17 months after the Taliban were removed from power, Afghanistan is still in chaos. "We hear the Taliban is making a comeback," he said. The Washington Post reported on May 8 that hundreds of angry protestors marched through Kabul, accusing Bush of breaking his promises. One of the Afghans? complaints is that the world has been led to believe that they have turned their backs on Islam.
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http://www.mediamonitors.net/sarhadi15.html

[NuttyFluffers]

1. a kick and a rolled eyes

:eyes:

because i needn't say anymore.

[teryang]

2. Good post

More cognitive dissonance for the "world's greatest superpower." Just keep those heroin suppliers happy!