- Dec 20, 2003
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It cost trillions, was paid for on credit rather than with taxes and soldiers died only to see a chaotic withdrawal and the restoration of Taliban rule. So was it worth the cost in blood and treasure?
Some observations to stimulate discussion:
1) Throughout the time the coalition was there opium production was promoted by the Taliban feeding Western markets. There is a chance now the Taliban may now end this drug supply.
2) The death rate during the occupation may have been lower than in normal times in Afghanistan as they tend to kill each other anyway. Reductions in infant mortality and improvements in health care should also be a part of that count. The population size almost doubled during the occupation.
3) Afghanistan is now Sunni again and a natural ally of Pakistan with repercussions for the balance of power in the Indian subcontinent.
4) As with Vietnam it has again been demonstrated that a determined people can overthrow a technically superior opponent by sheer willpower.
5) The willingness to die for a cause is more evident for those who subscribe to Islam than secularised liberal democrats. Is the credibility of the West undermined by its secularism and its commitment to immoral causes like LGBTQ? Does the West have the tools to deal with Islam e.g. compared to Russia or China?
6) Corruption undermines governance in this country and the Coalition failed to control it and indeed encouraged it. Why was the Occupation so blind to the corruption it actively encouraged?
7) At the moment it looks like the primary objective of eliminating Afghanistan as a safe haven for terrorists was achieved as the Taliban do not want any foreign fighters on their soil.
Some observations to stimulate discussion:
1) Throughout the time the coalition was there opium production was promoted by the Taliban feeding Western markets. There is a chance now the Taliban may now end this drug supply.
2) The death rate during the occupation may have been lower than in normal times in Afghanistan as they tend to kill each other anyway. Reductions in infant mortality and improvements in health care should also be a part of that count. The population size almost doubled during the occupation.
3) Afghanistan is now Sunni again and a natural ally of Pakistan with repercussions for the balance of power in the Indian subcontinent.
4) As with Vietnam it has again been demonstrated that a determined people can overthrow a technically superior opponent by sheer willpower.
5) The willingness to die for a cause is more evident for those who subscribe to Islam than secularised liberal democrats. Is the credibility of the West undermined by its secularism and its commitment to immoral causes like LGBTQ? Does the West have the tools to deal with Islam e.g. compared to Russia or China?
6) Corruption undermines governance in this country and the Coalition failed to control it and indeed encouraged it. Why was the Occupation so blind to the corruption it actively encouraged?
7) At the moment it looks like the primary objective of eliminating Afghanistan as a safe haven for terrorists was achieved as the Taliban do not want any foreign fighters on their soil.