Caravans, Cranes and War Without End, Part 3

As with so many situations today, thinking about the country of Afghanistan - and how it has changed from my initial romantically sweeping impressions and not for the better as a result of the military invasion spearheaded by the US in late 2001 - is, at the very least, depressing. Thus, before getting too far into this post, I would like first to post these words from someone I greatly admire, the late noted historian and author, Howard Zinn. His words serve as a touchstone to remind us that even during some of our darkest hours, the best qualities of our shared humanity have - so far - managed to transcend the worst of situations.

"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic; it is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our ability to do something. If we remember those times and places - and there are so many - where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for a grand utopian future.
The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory." [Emphasis mine.]

In October 2001, ostensibly due to the refusal of the then-Government in power in Afghanistan, the Taliban, to hand over Osama Bin Laden to US authorities and to disband Al Qaeda bases in Afghanistan following the catastrophic 9-11 bombings, the US launched "Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)." As pathetically and hopelessly misnamed as other US military ventures occurring during the 2001-2008 period, the only thing enduring about OEF is its length. So far at least, "freedom" in any meaningful sense for the Afghani people has been an impossible dream. OEF's US and NATO fatalities appear comparatively minimal in relation to military operations on a similar scale. But the human toll - both physical and mental - on the Afghani people and all combattants and the continuing deterioration and destabilization of the entire region, to say nothing of the extravagant sums of money literally poured into a bottomless Black Hole that have enriched unscrupulous people of all nationalities with little benefit to the ordinary Afghan together with the area's strongly resurgent trade in opium poppies, make this ill-advised, ill-conceived and ill-implemented measure one of the greatest military stalemates, if not in history, certainly in recent times.

It didn't have to be this way. Yes, my country was greatly traumatized - and remains so today - by the events of 9-11. I myself am still traumatized by them. But I remain even more traumatized by their aftermath. Unscrupulous, indolent and short-term opportunistic politicians and their Machiavellian puppeteers - in the name of a "War on Terror" - seized upon the occasion to curtail US civil rights and liberties to an unprecedented extent (see the so-called "Patriot Act"). They also implemented agendas that had very little to do with "freeing" anyone, but very much to do with gaining complete access to strategic geopolitical locales  and to the enormous reserves of natural resources located therein, as well as personal enrichment.

The US had itself laid the groundwork for Al Qaeda in the 1980s by arming and training the most rabid opposition groups to fight against the Soviets. As Edward Girardet states from his first-hand observations, "Despite endless opportunities to support moderate factions during the Soviet-Afghan war, the CIA - prompted by Pakistan - insisted on working closely with the most fanatical Islamic factions." Girardet notes further that, even before the infamous August briefing (that then-President Bush apparently never read that warned that attacks were being planned in the US), that the US was warned in 2001 by credible, less fanatic, Afghan leaders that there would be an attack in the US and that there should be no intervention - particularly a military intervention - in Afghanistan, but rather that pressure should be put on Pakistan. This was because Pakistan, particularly through its military intelligence, was supporting the Taliban. As we have seen since, Pakistan still supports Taliban factions today. In fact, Girardet asserts that, had the US not rushed into Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban, who were already on the point of implosion, would have defeated themselves. There were simply too many different voices and factions - an endemic Afghan situation. What a lot of anguish the entire world might have been spared, had cooler heads and more informed, less selfish and less short-sighted individuals been in power in the US in 2001! If only.

There is universal consensus - save for armchair military "experts" - that a military solution in Afghanistan imposed by outside powers is improbable, if not impossible. Centuries of military history in the region would seem to bear out that consensus. "Justice" cannot be imposed by military means. Any viable solution must involve Afghans in their own destiny. They must include not simply those Afghans selected by or acceptable to Western power-brokers, but every group of Afghans that has a stake in their own nation. Afghans - not simply those at the highest levels -  must be consulted and involved in their own destiny. Plenty of people are needed with full measure of our best human qualities: compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness - much of which has been demonstrated by selfless countless aid workers on the ground before, during and continuing even now under extremely difficult circumstances.

The current plans for US "drawdown" rely too much on our continuing military presence in Afghanistan. This is perceived as an occupation - with some few soldiers inevitably either deliberately insulting Afghans or committing atrocities - even though the majority of military personnel are simply trying to do their best in extremely difficult circumstances, with an undefined and nebulous "mission" to boot.

As one veteran of the US war in Iraq puts it, "War doesn't just rob the occupied of their humanity; it robs the occupier of theirs too. And this is why humankind cannot continue to wage senseless wars that accomplish nothing but death and destruction." Well said, IMO, from one who has "been there, done that."

Humankind is incredibly resilient. It survived the world's arguably worst Holocaust ever in the 20th century, after all. While there is much harm from the past decade that can never be undone, if we can all learn lessons from it and do as much as we can to mitigate its lasting effects to assist in building new foundations and new bridges among cultures, there is reason to be optimistic. While some of us may never be able to travel with the caravans as did the characters in Michener's novel nor will we ever behold unscathed relics of former civilizations in Afghanistan such as the Buddhas of Bamiyan that HWMBO visited in the late 1970s, perhaps we will one day see the cranes return to fly over Kabul in the spring. Or, better yet, Afghans themselves who are living in harmony among their fellows and with their environment will see these lovely emissaries of spring and wonder at their passage.