So it’s more troops for Afghanistan.
President Obama spent weeks deliberating what the next step should be with his war cabinet.
The mission remains somewhat the same — overthrowing Al Qaeda’s influence in the area. But he was careful not to mention the D word — democracy.
No matter how many troops are brought to the area, a major stumbling block is Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Despite well-documented accounts of fraud during the recent presidential election, he remains president. His opponent — a western thinking freedom fighter — bowed out of a run-off election after it became apparent the same corrupt election officials responsible for the first mess would keep their jobs to have another go at it.
More should have been done to make sure a fair election was held. Keeping the same corrupt administration is no way to boost a nation.
Under these circumstances, it’s safe to say nothing is going to change no matter how many troops we send over there, even with an 18-month time limit.
While the president’s intentions are good, it’s doubtful anything is going to change under the Karzai leadership. President Obama neglected to explain what will happen if after 18 months nothing’s changed, or possibly even grown worse over there. Eighteen months is a very short period of time to change the attitude of a nation.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Afghanistan has struggled to balance those who embrace modernism and the tribal and religious leaders who oppose it. The modernist reforms originating with Turkey’s Ataturk ushered in similar improvements in Afghanistan for women’s rights, education and commerce.
Unfortunately, continual in-fighting among the Afghan hierarchy caused a weakness in leadership and led to an eventual Soviet invasion despite major progress by businessmen and intellectuals.
Years of Soviet control through its failed communist economic system followed by backwards, close-minded religious control has left Afghanistan in its present disheveled state.
The country needs a strong leader and an 18-month U.S. troop surge is unlikely to all of a sudden turn Karzai into one.
Without a strong leader, the U.S. runs the risk of pouring money and lives into a big hole of nothing.
Milford, Del. —
