I recall many observers saying at the time of the U.S. invasion in 2001 that history had shown that Afghanistan could never be held. I also recall many observers pointing to how much the U.S. was hated and how the invasion and occupation would end in disaster.
This is not to say that life is rosy in Afghanistan. The picture is bleak on many of the basics.
Poverty is deep, medical care and other basic services lacking, and infrastructure minimal. Nearly six in 10 have no electricity in their homes, and just 3 percent have it around the clock. Seven in 10 Afghan adults have no more than an elementary education; half have no schooling whatsoever. Half have household incomes under $500 a year.
However, there appears to be a strong sense of support for the U.S. invasion and the U.S. occupation's role in nurturing the beginnings of a representative government there.
Yet despite these and other deprivations, 77 percent of Afghans say their country is headed in the right direction — compared with 30 percent in the vastly better-off United States. Ninety-one percent prefer the current Afghan government to the Taliban regime, and 87 percent call the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban good for their country. Osama bin Laden, for his part, is as unpopular as the Taliban; nine in 10 view him unfavorably.
One figure I found remarkable was that only 4% of those polled thought that the United States was the greatest danger to Afghanistan. By comparison, 41% of those polled thought the Taliban was the greatest danger.
The picture is not complete, but is remarkable how the relative stability and freedom created by the U.S. invasion has affected attitudes towards America in Afghanistan. i think this is something to bear in mind when considering the question of Iraqi attitudes towards the U.S.
3 comments:
No question that we've done good in Afghanistan.
Also no question that we've done evil.
For a lot of Afghanis, life is better.
For some, it's over.
We've probably killed more civilians than died on 9/11.
Doesn't really make sense, when you think about it.
Bin Laden may be far less effective now, but don't doubt that we will be attacked again.
Chris -
The argument over whether we have stopped bin Laden from being a threat can only be answered in one of three ways:
1) We are attacked again by him
2) We find bin Laden and imprison him/kill him.
3) 40 or so years passes without an attack and we can conclude that he died.
It's really kind of a silly argument until one of those events.
That's one of the problems with the "War On Terror" - there is no clear way to declare victory, and there will always be more terrorists.
Oh yeah, and you are a poopy head.
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