AFGHAN NATION BUILDING - OVER WHAT TIME & AT WHAT COST?????????
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- Do you place the emphasis on protecting a few cities while abandoning the rest of the country, or
- Do you deploy the marines/military costing who knows how much - about US$ 1 million/year to protect 1% of the population
Meanwhile, by July 2011 the drawdown begins. Given the time frame - anyone with an experience in "Foreign Aid & Development" would say the objectives in Afghanistan are "Mission Impossible" that will result in a failed attempt at "Nation Building" likely with dysfunctional & corrupt Afghan police and military - & a Government in general that the People will reject- and all the Taliban have to do is plant IEDs on our poor soldiers who can hardly separate the "good guys" from the "bad guys" - sit back and wait because what the USA/NATO is trying to do in a year and a half is an impossibility that must come from within the population and be based upon their cultures and value systems - not Ours.ÂÂ
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When will the arrogance of the West end - just look across the Indian Ocean to Africa and the general failure of imposed "Democracy", so-called Governments that really only represent a small political elite (humm - seems like that it's like that in the USA these days).ÂÂ
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Seems like the people of Afghanistan are being confronted with 2 choices neither of which they want - both imposed - the Taliban or a Western style Government - rather than building upon their traditions of decentralized governance controlled by tribal elders - similar to Africa.ÂÂ
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When I lived in Senegal - it was laughable. The West related to its puppet government in Dakar - that most people in the rural areas knew little about or cared little about - that had little or no impact on their daily lives unless there was a drought and food relief was provided - in their villages there were marabous, elders and chiefs that were the real government that impacted people's lives - determining what lands could be cultivated by whom, dealing with general disputes, providing Koranic schools that taught youth both moral values and how to farm, etc. In Guinea, when the Government undertook a livestock census to tax the people - the people seeing no value in Central Government - gathered their cattle and took them across borders into Senegal, etc. In fact, it is like that over 99% of Sub-Saharan Africa.
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What the West wants - be it in Africa or Afghanistan/Pakistan - will take generations, if ever - and in fact may not end up like the West would like - since our way of life is not necessarily so admirable with 40% of our children born out of wedlock, largest consumer of illegal drugs in the world, homosexuality considered the norm, a culture driven purely by materialism - the New Religion - not a culture to be emulated if you were to ask me - so why do we think that we can impose it on other cultures and want them to accept it - especially when the indigenous people see it serving a corrupt political elite and in most cases see the wealth of their natural resources squandered with little or nothing reinvested in human resources and physical infrastructure.ÂÂ
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The ultimate question is at what cost will be the the West's intervention in human resources and economies?? "Clear, hold, build and transfer" - maybe over 100 years if ever but not in 1.5 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Andre
--
Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."  --
Albert Einstein !!!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22151765/History-of-Pakistan-Army-from-1757-to-1971
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21693873/Indo-Pak-Wars-1947-71-A-STRATEGIC-AND-OPERATIONAL-ANALYSIS-BY-A-H-AMIN
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21686885/TALIBAN-WAR-IN-AFGHANISTAN
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22455178/Letters-to-Command-and-Staff-College-Quetta-Citadel-Journal
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23150027/Pakistan-Army-through-eyes-of-Pakistani-Generals
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23701412/War-of-Independence-of-1857
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22457862/Pakistan-Army-Journal-The-Citadel
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21952758/1971-India-Pakistan-War
http://www.scribd.com/doc/25171703/BOOK-REVIEWS-BY-AGHA-H-AMIN
