An Afghanistan woman politician speaks about the "surge":

[Thickasabrick]

This came out yesterday in the Guardian. Written by Malalai Joya who is one of the very few women Afghan politicians.

A troop surge can only magnify the crime against Afghanistan


After months of waiting, President Obama is about to announce the new US strategy for Afghanistan. His speech may be long awaited, but few are expecting any surprise: it seems clear he will herald a major escalation of the war. In doing so he will be making something worse than a mistake. It is a continuation of a war crime against the suffering people of my country.

I have said before that by installing warlords and drug traffickers in power in Kabul, the US and Nato have pushed us from the frying pan to the fire. Now Obama is pouring fuel on these flames, and this week's announcement of upwards of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan will have tragic consequences.

Already this year we have seen the impact of an increase in troops occupying Afghanistan: more violence, and more civilian deaths. My people, the poor of Afghanistan who have known only war and the domination of fundamentalism, are today squashed between two enemies: the US/Nato occupation forces on one hand and warlords and the Taliban on the other.

While we want the withdrawal of one enemy, we don't believe it is a matter of choosing between two evils. There is an alternative: the democratic-minded parties and intellectuals are our hope for the future of Afghanistan.

It will not be easy, but if we have a little bit of peace we will be better able to fight our own internal enemies – Afghans know what to do with our destiny. We are not a backward people, and we are capable of fighting for democracy, human and women's rights in Afghanistan. In fact the only way these values will be achieved is if we struggle for them and win them ourselves.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/nov/30/obama-afghanistan-troops

"Afghans know what to do with our destiny"

[Booster]

1. May be the only sane person who spoke today.

[subsuelo]

4. We didn't listen to them 8 years ago so why start now

[eleny]

2. K&R

[ShamelessHussy]

3. the escalation only means "more violence, and more civilian deaths." precisely,

but apparantly that is a sacrifice the elite are willing to allow everyone else to make :'(

[anarch]

5. "the people of Afghanistan will never accept occupation."

That's pretty much the key to any clear understanding of why escalation of military means has never, and will never, accomplish "victory" in Afghanistan, for as long as we've had history (and probably longer). That along with an unforgiving geography that's just about perfect for protecting defenders, facilitating guerilla warfare, and demoralizing attackers. And ending empires.

[anonymous171]

6. Self-determination is now unamerican. nt

[woo me with science]

7. Ask other Afghan women:

http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav100709.shtml

Particularly in populations that will be targeted by the Taliban (e.g., Hazara), opinions that we should not withdraw precipitously are very strong.

[cilla4progress]

8. Afghani women views

Yes, I have a female Afghani high school student living with me this year, and she is relieved US troops will remain in Afghanistan for a time.

[moodforaday]

12. How much may her opinion be influenced

by that fact that bombs will not be falling on *her* head?

I'm asking in all seriousness. Here in Poland, there is a significant contingent of people - politicians, commentators - who left the country shortly before or during the Martial Law in 1981, that stifled the Solidarity movement for several years and delayed our own "regime change". Many of these people, now back, are among the most hawkish - in hindsight. They did little or none of the struggling, they didn't risk imprisonment for their political views or actions, but they are spewing the worst kinds of accusations and bile against those who had stayed, fought and won.

The two scenarios can't be compared directly for sure, but things do look different from a safe distance.

[Turborama]

11. Thanks for that link

Back in October I posted http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8689609&mesg_id=8689609">an article by Mojumdar about Code Pink rethinking its call for Afghanistan pullout due to what they had heard during their visit and missed this other one written by her.

[Wilms]

9. .

[mullard12ax7]

10. What do those Afghan people know in their "destroyed 9th century" world?

They know what invaders are, what war criminals are, what corruption is and what lying hypocrites Americans are.