Afghanistan’s Bravest Woman

Speaking of shattering, albeit nicely, I have a few friends on facebook who are very peace-oriented.  Some of the things they post really challenge, nay shatter, my own preconceptions about the military actions in the Middle East.

I appreciate that, as uncomfortable as it can be to have one’s beliefs about the world challenged.

Today, I read an article about Malalai Joya.

Malalai Joya has been called “Afghanistan’s bravest woman.” When the Taliban ruled her country, she braved death, running an underground girls school. When the US military overthrew the Taliban she ran for parliament.

But that doesn’t mean she’s a supporter of the U.S. military, or President Obama’s decision to double the number of American troops in her country.

I encourage you to read it.

Most Americans think we are in Afghanistan to get rid of the “bad guys” and bring some sort of stabilization to the region, in order to discourage future terrorism.  As it turns out, not so much.

That these war-lords remain in power is not an accident, she said. They thrive on the drug trade and are actively supported by the United States and other regional powers.

And that arrangement has gotten worse under Obama than Bush, she said, because certain warlords deemed too brutal to take part in the Afghan government under Bush have been invited to the bargaining table under Obama.

So much for the strategy of bringing everyone to the table to make the world love us again.

That raises an obvious question.  Why are we still there, if our actions are not leading to a more peaceful Afghanistan?