UI – Part 522 – America and the New Trump Afghanistan War

No Cease Fire

On August 24, 2017, George Rassley (ConservativeHQ.com) wrote, “Our enemy in Afghanistan is not interested in negotiating a cease fire, joining a coalition government and being part of the “family of nations” that foolish diplomats and those ignorant of Islam’s tenets imagine exists. They are only interested in living in a Sharia compliant culture and eventually creating the worldwide Ummah, or community of Islam, that Mohammad commanded.”

The Taliban will fight in Afghanistan forever if that is what is necessary. Prior to 911 the Taliban controlled all of Afghanistan.  Our Main Stream Media (MSM) had little to say about the takeover of this Nation from the late 1970’s thru the invasion and subsequent defeat of the Russians by this group. We were in part responsible for their development as we aided in financing their military strength in an effort to thwart the Russians. Saudi Arabia built mosques and together we built training facilities to make the students of Islam, upset with the Afghan government’s acquiescence to a non-Islamic, more secular governance, and the attempted takeover by Russia, strong and effective as a resistance against the invaders. Pakistan provided the land, the Pashtun area, where the facilities were located, accepting and directing the funding we provided. Zia Huh was the Paki PM who had carte Blanche to direct the funding we provided without a complete awareness on our part of uses. Zia had an agenda too, to Islamize Pakistan. The students (Taliban) were at the training centers, to include al Qaeda, and mujahidin elements.

Clueless

President Carter experienced the Russian invasion of 1979 (December). He also saw the Iranian Revolution in January of 1979, with the overthrow of the Shah and the taking of power by Khomeini. His primary focus at the time of both events must have been elsewhere. There were advances toward modernity in those areas that came to a halt. Were Carter and his advisers clueless as to what their lack of knowledge of the area, fear of the Russians, and distaste for the Shah would have on millions and millions of residents in those two countries?

The enemy is an elitist cadre of Islamist bullies, clerics trained in Islam, the use of weapons, and little else. Running a Country was not taught in their religious schools. They take the offices of government for ego and control purposes, doing little to coalesce a system to properly provide for resident’s needs, such as water, electricity, trash pick-up, security and safety. It is a cabal of backward clerics that rule by force, murdering their detractors and dissenters.  They do not represent the wants of the people.

Stay We Must

I am conflicted by any decision to maintain, even increase, America’s presence and continue in battle gear until they can depart thinking there has been some form of victory. However, leaving Iraq at the end of 2011, as ordered by President Obama, was a serious error in judgment.  So, stay we must.

A total victory against the Taliban is not foreseen at this moment.  They want to govern all of Afghanistan anew as a totally Sharia compliant Nation.  They will not negotiate. If what seems a negotiation towards achieving an accord, it can be easily said, it will be filled with empty promises on the part of the Islamists. They want to be like Khomeini, a militant force that rules from the mosques, with the remaining voice of The Afghans, after the dissidents are exterminated, another collective chorus shouting “Death to America.” They will never stop fighting for Allah.  But a commitment to stop the Islamists and free the people must continue.   There are no timelines as the snake may be cut into multiple segments yet it tends to rise up anew to kill other Muslims and non-Muslims indiscriminately, continuing to instill fear of their need for blood to secure a base to exploit their version of the Scripture of Islam. Fear is their tool.

Afghans are Weak

The Taliban, with ISIS entering the fray, recently attacked in Kabul.  Over a short span of several days in January 2018 attacks took place at the Hotel Inter-Continental, a school, along with a truck bombing, actually an ambulance, in a busy public commercial area.  141 were killed, including 4 Americans.  Gains, efforts to curb or eliminate the presence of these radical Islamic fundamentalists hell-bent on destruction, are not being made as liked, with progress and then a fall-back, but fighting these pockets of violent Islamists is akin to removing a glioblastoma from a brain.  Militancy is the way of Muhammad.  Bringing darkness and hatred to a population base over which a cadre of murderous zealots for Allah can assume power can only lead to further deterioration of a nation historically wracked with conflict.  The people themselves are not strong enough to defend themselves.

A greater reliance on Afghan security forces, a desire by the Trump Administration, is a worthy objective, but if attainable it will not happen quickly.  A question that needs an answer is, “Who is providing support for these insurgents?”  When the answer is found, and there in all likelihood is more than one faction providing support, financial and militarily, those sources must be eliminated.  Pakistan has factions that are more friends of the Taliban and enemies of efforts to aide the Afghanis, the Americans and secular minded, or freedom minded people

If Trump is relying on the Art of Negotiation, then he will be sadly disappointed in any dealings with the Taliban.  These, and their kind, are not subject to negotiation.

To have a chance at stabilizing Afghanistan and have its people realize, as a taste, the freedoms enjoyed prior to the Russians, then a long term attempt to keep the Taliban out of any office of government is needed. The mujahidin, tribal brothers, are also entrenched in their mighty Islam, but as a clan, with their own hollers and mini-kings who have no intention of relinquishing control of their small corner.

No More All Islam

Secondly, we cannot allow a Taliban takeover and another Islamic State in SW Asia. A more secular government is required, not necessarily a democracy, but just no more ‘all Islam for everyone or you die’ country.

We must prepare for a US military presence in the region, at multiple locations, for decades, possibly permanently. I am OK with that as long as the objectives are clear and the commitment long-term.   Absent a political  campaign that succeeds at home (USA) based on a platform to withdraw in the future there is a chance the people of Afghanistan can be bathed in the light of freedom. Afghanistan cannot become a political football. But, unfortunately it will. Trump today. Another President-lite as Obama in 4 or 8 years. We are too inconsistent in our programs with Muslim dominated countries as we fail to understand Islam.

The big picture must include Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines.  And we cannot ignore the neighbor to the West, Iran.  A regime change there with a return to a democratic order would do much to help Afghanistan’s future prospects.

It has been 45 years since freedom of women was enjoyed.

We need to stay to support a free Afghan government, more secular than Islamic, allowing schools to form and educate the youth to love freedom and opportunity without the controls and restraints of Islam.  The Taliban will resist and scatter their remains as bombs attached to their bodies are detonated to kill and make their horrific want to control the people of Afghanistan in the way they want to control them. That means neither liberty, equality, opportunity nor freedom.

Unfortunately the logic on all sides, Taliban, Afghanistan, American, is that war, mini-wars, battles to eradicate the presence of one or the other, is necessary until what remains is the side that prevails.  Pray for the freedom of all people, to include those of Afghanistan.  May their eyes be opened to the opportunity to live again as they were at the end of WWII and continue to progress towards modernity.

Grace and Peace