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Why Afghans Are Turning On America
Rahmat Gul / AP Photo
The generals aren’t the only ones awaiting an Obama decision on Afghanistan. Without a clear sign of U.S. intentions, Elise Jordan argues, the Afghan people are becoming anti-American.
When President Obama finally decides on the strategy for winning what he called the "necessary war" in Afghanistan, he will need to let our generals know what it is. He might also want to let the Afghan people in on it. After all, they will ultimately determine whether it succeeds or fails.
Unfortunately, it is precisely the Afghan people who are most neglected by our policy today. And we can see the alarming result: Almost two months after Afghans voted in a contested election, Afghan public opinion is fast turning against American and international forces.
Right now one of the most debilitating aspects of this war is the harmful message vacuum regarding American intentions in Afghanistan. The American and Afghan people share many common interests. Continued silence, however, threatens our larger objectives there as much as any verbal misstep or tragic civilian casualty. The point is this: the message that the U.S. will not abandon Afghanistan is not reaching Afghans.
Although the majority of Afghans do not want the Taliban to return, increased anti-American messaging marks a shift from years of American and NATO popularity.
What do we have in its place? On nightly television programs--entitled “Election” in translation—stations such as Noreen, Shamshad and Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA) show Afghan civil and opinion leaders engaging in heated debate and decrying the “U.S. and international occupation.” The implication is that we are not really committed to Afghanistan—an extremely damaging communication in a culture of oral tradition where trust matters and withdrawal from previous conflicts resulted in bloody civil war.
• Thomas E. Ricks: The Generals Aren’t Necessarily Right
• Gerald Posner: The Taliban’s Heroin Ploy It should not be hard to get our message through, even to the far reaches of Afghanistan’s most remote villages. Indeed, the freeing of Afghanistan's media is one of the success stories of post-Taliban Afghanistan. There are now hundreds of radio and television stations, newspapers, and magazines. According to the Asia Foundation’s 2008 Afghanistan survey, around 51 percent of Afghans receive their news from radio, and another 21 percent receive their news from television. In addition to TV and radio, Afghans rely on family and community networks for information.
For whatever reason, we and our allies are not engaging these outlets to “Afghan-ize” our message and course corrections. Our enemies do not make this mistake. A highly regarded Kabul newspaper editor imprisoned multiple times for criticizing the Taliban regime divides Afghan media into three spheres of influence—outlets attempting to stay independent; networks operated and controlled editorially by warlords; and entities funded by Iranians, who openly aim to culturally persuade Afghanistan and use their Kabul-based stations to celebrate Al-Quds Day and Khomeini Day.
As the Iranians make a concerted effort to influence Afghans, we remain on the sidelines. As the Obama administration conducts yet another strategic review, there's no sign of any appreciation that any successful strategy must include overtures to Afghans active in civil society that will help us project as part a clear message of American intentions.
Unless we do, the rumors and unfounded speculation that the Taliban propagate will continue to diminish our influence—and lead Afghans to hedge their bets. If not addressed soon, public opinion could turn against a U.S. presence.
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Elise Jordan served as a director for communications in the National Security Council from 2008-2009. A former speechwriter for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, she lived and worked in Kabul, Afghanistan for most of the last year.
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Elise Jordan served as a director for communications in the National Security Council from 2008-2009. A former speechwriter for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, she lived and worked in Kabul, Afghanistan for most of the last year.
Sorry Afghans, sorry US and Allied troops. 0bama has a much more important war he is fighting, it requires the full attention, bully pulpit and power of the WH... Fox news must be stopped!!!!!
@ baddchild...I know that this is a foreign concept to you on the right, especially after 8 years with a simpleton at the helm, but allow me to introduce you to the term " multi-tasking ", which can be defined as the ability to handle multiple tasks within the same time period.
Please try this, pat your head using your right hand and with your left hand make a circular motion on your stomach.
Don't give up ok ? No pain...no gain !
Good luck and please let me know how it works out for you.
weak excuse frenchie but maybe if 0bama didn't "multi-task" and concentrated on maybe one or two things other than Fox News he might have an acomplishment somewhere along the line. I actually prefer him multi-tasking though, because this way he gets nothing done and America is the better for it.
Baddchild, " this way he gets nothing and America is better for it " America hasn't looked so miserable since the last great depression and your wish is for it to languish until you guys are once again given the keys to the kingdom...what...to finish her off ?
The only reason we are in the state we are in is because you guys elected W, not once, but twice and I am supposed to trust you as an authority on what is best for our nation. Forgive me if I burst out laughing.
Sorry, you had your chance and proved and your de-regulation, everyone fend for themselves, lying, cheating war mongering got us in the position were in today, so if your not going to be part of the solution, then you will remain nothing but a noisy part of the problem.
All Obama is doing is trying to clean up the mess after the big party you guys had. Lastly I ask you to please shout your " I hope he gets nothing done " out to all of the families of which there are millions of children who are living in card board boxes and who can't afford even the most basic health care. Please go tell them how everything is just perfect and how you want things to stay exactly as they are, just so YOU can stand your ground and how how defiant you can be.
If you think there are "millions" of kids living in cardboard boxes in this country you have no clue. There around 300 million people in the US and you think MILLIONS of kids live in boxes... how many 2? 10 million? figure there would have to be twice as many adults homelss living in boxes, so that makes by your count 20-30 million homless 6 to 10% of the US population homless.... according to the National Alliance to End Homlessness the actual number is between 700,000 and 1.2 million, 65% of which are adults. making your "MILLIONS OF CHILDREN IN CARDBOARD BOXES" number really around 245k to 420k which accrding to the report most are in shelters... not boxes.
That's the problem with you liberals, you figure if you throw enough lies out there and way over inflatted stats and repeat them enough times the lie becomes fact. Such as global warming or my favorite... "more women are beaten by their husbands on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day of the year."
Now instead of taking a bad situation and overblow to the point of absurdity, lets look at some facts. GW Bush allowed faith based charities that addressed these issues to recieve money from the goverment and increased overall funding much more than the Clintons to historic levels. Now you tell me one thing that your messiah 0bama has done for the homeless since he has taken office other than to support acorn's bid to help get child prostitutes from El Salvador homes to be enslaved in.
baddchild, first let's call this a case of pot calling the kettle black with your " that's the problem with you liberals " However, while I admit to poor wording the millions I was referring too also eluded to " kids without health insurance "
However maybe you should reflect a little on how eager you were to prove my figure was incorrect rather than actually acknowledging the point I was making. That is the problem with you right wingers, you more interested in proving that your right than actually addressing the problems.
No matter how much you try to debunk my point of view, yours is clear, you actually wants things to worsen in this country just so you can shout, point and jump with glee " SEEE Told you so, HA " a la Rush Limbaugh.
And we were called unpatriotic, I don't think I have ever come across a less patriotic group then the Republicans who only want this country to succeed when there in the drivers seat and yet I repeat once again, you guys were in the drivers seat and look where it got us.
The Afgan people "are becoming" anti-American?
Nice revisionist hsitory there, from a former Bush low level aide.
First, that implies incorrectly that they liked us before and where's the evidence for that?
More importantly, its comical to blame this on the current adminsitrtaion when Bush created an epic mess there. Let's see -- invade and country and blow a bunch of people us, usually as many civilians and combatants, then install a puppet leader who has a hsitory of corruption to rule over them all, then abandon the war for the most part so you can go and fight a different one that was totally off-mission of responding to terrorism even though you never finished the job of rooting out the organization that had terrorized and ruled over the average Afgan's in the first place, thus only making them stronger. Nice job there Bush Administration. I'm sure the Afgan's loved us for all that and what a shame Obama is undermning all that goodwill...
News flash citvas. Bush is not here anymore. Ok? Start worrying about what Obama is or isn't doing. I assume you are American, right? We have men and women there. There's no time for this anymore. We need action not fancy speeches. Remember, this was Obama's favorite war, he couldn't wait to get those troops into Afghanistan during the campaign.
But then again, I guess the campaign isn't over yet. Not in Obamaski's mind anyway. He's got to get out there and vilify Rush and Fox and the Town Hall goers, and the Tea Parties. Those are the real enemies of the Left.
Maybe he ain't so stupid after all.
This can't be achieved by military means alone. We need to get people from different department over there to help. The Afghans need to make a living, and get an education. The State Department need to coordinate the efforts of Ag, Education, Transportation, etc to get thing going. Yes, the military must to around to protect these efforts, but without them, any strategy will fail.
Citicas, the Republican fall back position is to say " it's time to stop blaming Bush " which is like handing a sinking ship over to a new captain and as the captain continues to plug hold after hole the old crew is shouting, " get on with it will yah, your screwing up all of our hard work ".
And just what to Bush Junior do to win the trust of the Afghans? Not much. He left us with this mess, and is probably smirking about it as he makes plans to do the right-wing lecture circuit.
Naturally, this war cannot be won unless they put at least as many resources into the civilian side as the military side--into political, social and economic development. We will lose for sure if we DON'T do that.
It's not likely that the Afghans will ever be in love with the United States, only that they will like the Taliban and Al Qaeda even less than they like us. In fact, no one in the world ever really likes America no matter who the president is, but they know from experience that there are always worse alternatives out there. Sure, we are an empire--at least we we until we finally crashed out--but we are also a bumbling empire that often does not know what to do even in its own self-interest.
"just what to Bush Junior do to win the trust of the Afghans?" mcmchugh99
How about getting women the right to vote in 2004.... pretty good for a country that beats women in the streets.
Sorry to everybody.Especially our troops.you should be brought home ,given free mortgages and jobs forever.Probably that is one of the big problems,there are no jobs. But we need a very strong military,for when and if we ever should fight. To retaliate or survival.Unfortunately, politicians,make up the wars and the rest fight them. They continue their parties,socializing and who knows the real motives for these wars. We have given billion to Iraquis,Pakistanians and Afghanistanians,and it it a drop in a bucket. And has gone to the leaders,mulahs,war lords,karzais,Mushariffs whoever.Not the population. BESIDES THE DAYS OF US REBUILDING another country are over. We are the walking wounded Here and Nobody is ever going to come in to help us and rebuild us.Unfortunately there is no way out. to end these wars. I thought our administration was going to do it. BUT IF OUR soldiers are to fight,they have to have all the equipment,manpower,soldiers,armor necessary to survive.it is incredible all the lying that was promised at the election times. MY ADVICE IS THE NEXT TIME ANYONE ATTACKS THE US OF AMERICA,they dissapear the next morning.That is the way we should retaliate.That tells the world you do not attack innocent americans. As for injustuces,death in families and children,It would be up to them,the terrorist who do not love and care for their own people as to jeopordise their safety.Maybe the people can say terrosits are not accepted in our country. We want to survive. War is ugly,attacks on us were a massacre,and that is how you fight wars.They themselves will hide among children,elderly,schools.So ,if they do not love their own atleast we have to let them know,We do love our own and our homeland.You cannot attack us,because there will be consequences.Felt in your homeland and all over the world. Not dollarss&rebuilding,and infrastructure,and on and on and on.And playing all these games. Lives, are being lost,of our children,our husbands,mothers.and the country is not behind these wars.I have always felt when our soldiers fight for us, they have to have our consience,moral caring support behind them. what was done to all the Viet Nam soldiers, they came home and were unwanted and unwelcomed, and everyones lives goes,on with dinners and parties,and travel except those who loose their loved ones.We are fightting a useless neverending war.Throwing our billions out,our lives,End it yesterday.!!There will be a time and aplace to meet the talibans,and alqueda,another day,and we will fight as the United States of America,all as one in mind actions and thought.
americans, brits, germans, canadians, whoever, are viewed by the general population as an invading army of occupation. if you have the simple delusion that some kids are all smiles when someone is throwing candies off an armoured humvee and therefore they like you, they really like you, you don't understand simple human emotion. nobody, anywhere in the world, likes being occupied by foreign troops. period.
QUIT YOUR BICKERING!!!!!
Sound familiar?
Now Obama has a JD in Constitutional Law!
It takes time to correct the FUCK ups of the past!!!
So quit your whining about it all...
Uh yeah - and don't visit the Middle East for awhile..
I had to let a Middle East leader know that all is not what it seems and we hired Obama to fix the laws that the Rep's FUCKED up again...
So instead of "bickering" about it...do something about it...
TURN ANGER INTO ACTIVISM!!!!!
That was on Parade and a black kid was the show...
If this kid can do that then it must make some adults feel foolish that a kid has to make a point to America!!!
Daveinboise reminds us the Afghans need to earn a living and get an education. I certainly agree with the sentiment. My problem is that between 10 to 20 percent of us in the US are also unemployed. Millions lack ANY Health Care. Families are being evicted and living on the streets. Also, many of our people are uneducated too. [If you doubt that, just watch some of the Reality TV, or an afternoon of Oprah!]
So, as badly as I feel about the people in Afghanistan who expected us to solve their problems, I feel worse about those of us living here who voted for Change and discovered it was nickels and dimes at the best. Unless they work for an Investment Firm who got us into this mess with the help of Government Sachs!
For that matter, the Afghans, Pakistanis, and Iraqis would all be better off if we left them alone to solve their own problems. What the Hell, we are the one's bombing them to bits and destroying their countries!
Don't worry, as soon as we sign over our country to the U.N. none of this will be our problem any more.
Thank you.
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