Carlotta Gall’s February 6 piece in the New York Times (NYT), titled “Pakistan’s Hand in the Rise of International Jihad,” is a journalistic marvel. It spotlights the dizzying creativity a human brain is capable of when paired with a massive axe to grind. Unfortunately, for prose jammed with so many accusations, Gall’s piece is surprisingly light on substantive sources. Oh, but she makes up for this foible by heaping dollops of self-righteous Americentrism.
No surprises here. Gall, after all, penned “The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan 2001-2014,” a tome that must surely feature as essential reading for Pakistanophobes. In her book, Gall posits that Washington’s Afghan war strategy was flawed from the get-go. After felling the Taliban, US forces should have kept marching east instead of invading Iraq. Why? Because without Pakistan’s patronage, neither they nor Al-Qaeda could ever have bloomed in the region.
Okay, so I will not harp on about the Union Oil Company of California’s (UNOCAL) Taliban connection, immortalized incidentally in an article titled “Oil Barons court Taliban in Texas” from British daily the Telegraph’s 1997 archives. I will not even dwell on Operation Cyclone, and how Soviet-era mujahideen that spawned modern Islamic militancy were curated on Washington’s orders
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Let us start with Afghanistan. Yes, both countries have issues dating back to 1947. The former was the only UN member to oppose the latter’s entry into the world body, a result of misplaced anger at the British Raj’s exit plan. Later, Republican Afghanistan fueled Pashtun nationalist fervor inside Pakistan as payback, tacitly supporting a secessional movement. Islamabad had no choice then but to use Islamists as a counterweight, especially when Kabul cozied up to New Delhi for similar
Theoretically, it holds that the United States (US) invaded Afghanistan as a self-defense strategy following the 9/11 attacks. Practically, however, as US foreign policy is about conquest, self-protection and resource-extraction, it seeks strategic dominance of geographical space to sustain its global relevance. The rationality of the US suggests the need to continuously accumulate capital, resources and military proficiency to ensure autonomy. Therefore, a pragmatic reading into the motivation behind the invasion of Afghanistan negates the self-defense theory. Rather, the shifting coordinates of power within central and southern Asia crafted the perfect criteria for US intervention. This work explores the motivations and systemic cover-ups designed by the Bush administration in ordering military troops into Afghanistan in 2001. It will hold that this invasion was not just a War on Terror, but rather a tactic to ensure US prevalence within the region, and henceforth, the rest of the world. Thus, why did the US invade Afghanistan?
Assef a local radical provides a chilling insight into the radicalism exhibited in some individuals in Afghanistan and how they have distorted views of the
For over 2 centuries, Afghanistan has known virtually no time without war. Beginning around 326 B.C. with the conquests of Alexander the Great, to the Persians, British, Russians and most recently, America and our NATO allies, Afghanistan has been cultivated into the country that it is today through a trial by fire. Regardless of this relentless onslaught of foreign military power, the Afghan people have tirelessly defended their homeland with no outside power ever being able to subdue them completely. Following the withdrawal of the Soviet Union in 1989, the country fell into civil war, torn even further apart by fiercely dedicated tribal warlords. This power vacuum led to the rise of a group called the Taliban. Led by a one eyed man
The Taliban are a part of history and people should be aware of who they are and what they do. The Taliban has evolved over the years and unfortunately have grown stronger over the years. They started off as a group of students and it is sad to know that these students who could have started with a good future ended up being a part of a terrorist group. They think they are doing right because they may read the Quran but they only focus on the words and passages they want to hear and say to defend their terrorist group without reading the passage or verse fully and trying to understand the real words of Allah. The Taliban have been around for a long time and as a result the Taliban havetaken over territory such as Afghanistan and many others. One of the territories the Taliban has is Afghanistan and the government is seen as corrupted because they help the Taliban. Corruption may exist anywhere but would the Afghan government be supporting the Taliban with weapons because they want to or because of fear?
1. In President Obama’s speech at West Point, he announced that 30,000 additional troops would be sent to Afghanistan. He made this decision because he said it was vital to the United States’ national interest. The vital national interest at risk in President Obama’s address is the security and safety of the American people as well as the “security of our allies and the common security of the world.” By involving the military and increasing the troop strength, President Obama can achieve the objectives of his strategy. His objectives are to keep the Taliban from becoming powerful, prevent them from government rule, improve Afghanistan security forces and government so they can manage their own country and prevent Al Qaeda from
“In December 2011, remaining U.S. troops were pulled out of Iraq, leaving that nation in a far more volatile state than when military operations first began in 2001” (Green). This illustrates that 9/11 has caused instability in multiple regions such as Afghanistan. Moreover, U.S. foreign policy dramatically changed from deterrence and containment to preemptive and preventive action. Consequently, this foreign policy established questionable allies such as Pakistan where Osama bin Laden was hiding. When the terrorist attacks happened, it was designed to instill fear and weaken the US but it made the US even stronger (HÉochaidh).
2001-Al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan are targeted by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and the CIA’s
As Russian forces pushed into Afghanistan seeking to conquer the nation, spread communism, and secure oil routes, the United States suspected Russia may be successful in its conquest. Moreover, President Carter’s administration took notice and produced presidential findings, allowing the United States to indirectly and mildly support Mujahidin rebel forces, who sought to confront the Russian forces and win back Afghanistan. President Carter utilizing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) funneled small weapons and funding to associates within the Pakistan intelligence community who in turn provided the items to the rebel forces (Coll
In 1978, a communist government gained control of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union supported the new government, but the unrest of Afghan citizens with this regime was so great it prompted a “Jihad” or holy war(Jacobson, 31).
The war between Afghanistan and the United States has been one that has lasted longer than any war; the civil war combined with both World War I and World War II do not match the duration the United States currently faces with Afghanistan. With both countries engaging little to no military conflict, the U.S. continues to be on Afghanistan’s territory, securing the country from the rise of militias potentially threatening our counterpart’s sovereignty. Many people have been arguing whether the US should withdraw from Afghanistan and when. Currently, as the U.S. plans to withdraw from the Afghan nation, the issue is not one that pertains to the U.S. and Afghanistan, for they are not the only two involved. American forces had planned to leave the opponent’s nation but fear the security along with the sovereignty of Afghanistan continues to be one that is porous. The initiation of the war was the 9/11 attack and has been lasting for 13 years. However, many people complain about the extreme high cost of the war The United States should withdraw completely from Afghanistan because of the high cost of the war, popular opinion’s support, and very few al-Qaeda members are left.
Kill/Capture: How An Aggressive United States Military Initiative May Be Doing More Harm Than Good in Afghanistan
A new type of link between religion and globalization within the American public arena was cast on 9/11. for a few giant lines was drawn between sensible and evil religious faiths. the next American military response in Islamic State of Afghanistan was meant to secure America by destroying the forces of the evil religious faith, forces assumed to be accountable for the events of 9/11. at a similar time the afghan folks were liberated by the oppression of the evil faith so they might fancy the fruits of freedom and democracy.
In an age when mankind has the ability to completely annihilate itself through nuclear combat, war can be a more terrifying and powerful thought than ever before. Unfortunately, because of the extent of the actions that the Taliban has committed against both America and its own followers, the United States’ war against terrorism seems to be a necessity. I do feel, however, as if there are many things that can be done by the American government in the near future to peacefully approach a more civil and politically involved Afghanistan. Although my feelings on a war against terrorism are mixed, I do feel that significant actions must be taken in order to restrict the spread of
India had strong relations with Afghan King Zahir Shah’s regime. In 1950, India and Afghanistan signed a “Friendship Treaty”. When Pakistan joined the military pacts, SEATO and CENTO, in 1954 and 1955, the Afghan Prime Minister, Sardar Daud, described the U.S. military aid to Pakistan as a grave danger to the security and peace in
Then, on October 7th, President Bush announced operations in Afghanistan were underway. In his address to the nation, President Bush enumerated the demands given to Taliban leadership as, “close terrorist training camps; hand over leaders of the Al Qaeda network; and return all foreign nationals, including American citizens, unjustly detained in your country.” It was clear “none of these demands were met,” as President Bush announced military strikes were underway in Afghanistan. This concludes the first element of contemporary evidence.