Afghanistan

Don’t Give Up on Afghanistan

The fact that Afghans haven't is all the more reason for us to stay engaged.

NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Dec 10, 2007

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  • Posted By: Phylmore @ 12/14/2007 2:50:48 PM

    Cutting and running is NEVER an option - talk about loss of credibility. Part of the golden rule is cleaning up your own mess and finishing what you start.

  • Posted By: Shankardada2 @ 12/01/2007 9:00:24 PM

    80%!!! Now that's a heartening statistic. After decades of poverty and misrule, Afghans now have a fledgling democracy, and hope. If you poll the Democrats in the U.S.A., the percentage of people optimistic about Afghanistan would probably be around 8%. They would say that it's time to cut our losses and run. Luckily these types weren't in charge after World War II or who knows what Japan, Germany, South Korea, and Taiwan would look like today...

    • Posted By: monkeyman @ 12/09/2007 3:57:39 PM

      I believe Harry Truman was a Democrat. So I guess that negates your comments. It's not a question of "cut and run", it's a question of How did we get in this mess? What realistically can be done? and How do we get out of there? You can NOT force Democracy on people who are not interested in it. Yes, I know it sounds like a noble idea; but it's like giving a loaded gun to a baby and expecting it will protect itself.

  • Posted By: t9900 @ 12/03/2007 8:41:07 PM

    Actually if you looked at facts our reasons to go in Afghanistan was to 1) capture/kill Bin Laden and Al-Queda and 2) get rid of the Taliban(?). Considering the less violence and casualties an Afghanistan we are partially successful. However, I've noticed a wried trend. Over the past months we are becoming more successful in Iraq but violence, casualties, and terrorist attacks are increasing in Afghanistan. I want success in both places but I'd rather this trend continue than reverse. Iraq as a larger population and more of our troops so increased violence in Iraq will causes more deaths than increase violence in Afghanistan. Though as I said, I'd rather have peace in both.

    When non-Americans refer to arrogant Americans they must be referring to those who want to cut our losses and run. That's just pathetic. It doesn't matter how we went in, it should matter that we stayed until the people are safe. If you want people to stop calling us arrogant, then maybe you should start caring for other people.

  • Posted By: theprotz @ 12/03/2007 2:15:14 PM

    I think that our[America's] actual intentions in Afghanistan overshadow any humanitarian effort that we could single handedly offer. I mean, we went there working under the goal of finding Osama Bin-Laden. Has that been accomplished? No.. Have we made any progress in downsizing the influence of Al-Queda over the terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and elsewhere? Not really. If anything, they are stronger and more determined now than they have ever been. I think that the Bush Administration misunderstood the magnitude of the problem in Afghanistan, and the Middle East, and just dove in to that theatre head first. That, in and of itself, makes you wonder about what the true intentions were in the first place. The fact is, historically speaking, Afghanistan never really worked, isn't working now, and probably never will function properly as a truly independant and stable country. I agree with the general consensus here in saying that we should, "Cut our losses and run!"

  • Posted By: nawawimohamad @ 12/03/2007 2:33:44 AM

    The infrastructure and daily life that have apparently been restored as observed by Hosseini are infact just partly restored (just in Kabul only) to the pre-invasion (by the US and allies) days.There is no improvement after the devastation of Afghanistan by the invasion - just restoration. This is further aggravated by the opium production. The US is only barely managing Kabul and it has not been able to control the rest of Afghanistan. Since there is not much that the US can do and it has been a forgottened war, it is time for the US and its allies to cut losses and run! Remember that USSR was humiliated in Afghanistan and went broke. Unlike Afghanistan, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan are able to stand on their own feet because they had the potential and their own will power or strength to be what they are today without much help from the US. The only so-called help they received from the US are the ones that benefited the US itself like cheap consumer products. The US must handover back Afghanistan to its own peolple. What about a road map?

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