Everything Else Is Just Noise.
Perhaps dumber than just noise, in some quarters. In any case, here's all that matters:
"Pull out, get out, give up is not the way to solve Afghanistan’s problems.”
- Afghan parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai.
“We want the troops here. Women are in danger already; if the troops go, the people who will be most affected will be women and children.”
- Huma Safi, a program manager with Women for Afghan Women.
"Pull out, get out, give up is not the way to solve Afghanistan’s problems.”
- Afghan parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai.
“We want the troops here. Women are in danger already; if the troops go, the people who will be most affected will be women and children.”
- Huma Safi, a program manager with Women for Afghan Women.
“We could not be here if the troops were not here. We need troops here until we can sustain our own military.”
Aziza, Afghan businesswoman.
Sometimes, you just have to choose your comrades. I've made my choice. Until victory:
Sometimes, you just have to choose your comrades. I've made my choice. Until victory:
posted by Terry Glavin at 10:06 AM
5 Comments:
"I've made my choice."
Amen to that.
I agree with you Terry, 100%. However, it's fair to say that not all Afghan women's groups agree with the position set out above. There's an article discussing both sides in The American Prospect:
"A Feminist Case for War?
Women's rights activists are conflicted over a continued U.S. presence in Afghanistan"
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=a_feminist_case_for_war
Hi Steve.
"However, it's fair to say that not all Afghan women's groups agree with the position set out above."
Well, no, it's not quite fair to say that. RAWA (i.e. Malalai Joya) has reverted to its Maoist roots, and enjoys greater support among rich "liberals" in Southern California than it does in Afghanistan, where Joya, I'm afraid, is regarded as a faintly ridiculous character, at best.
There may well be some Afghan feminists who support some sort of "troops out" position. Apart from the utterly marginal RAWA, I know of none, and I have never met one. I spent three weeks in Afghanistan last year interviewing Afghan progressives, liberals, secularists, human rights activists, and feminists across the spectrum, from the left to the right. Not one responded to the "troops out" position so fashionable in the rich countries of the west with anything other than astonishment, amusement or utter contempt.
Cheers,
TG
Interesting, thanks.
Alas, Terry, with our current government's hands tied by the oppositions' legislated end date to our mission on Afghan, and due to the now very obvious ambivalence being shown by Dr. Utopia (He's too busy making hopenchange happen. The people need their unicorns, doncha know?) I fear that Afghan will get abandoned. The despicable cur named Gordon Brown is parroting the anti war crowd in the UK, and is threatening a severe draw down, if not outright withdrawal. It is comical that only the French seem to get it.
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