Is military might the answer?
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Editor,
It was very recently reported that one in seven Afghan soldiers are walking off the job. Between January and June of this year, 24,000 — 3 percent of the forces — deserted, twice the rate of the same period just a year ago. This causes one to wonder about the commitment level in this fight against the Taliban.
Why do I mention this? Here's why: Immediately after 9/11, the head of the "UN Development Program," Mark Malloch Brown, was commissioned to do an intensive and extensive study as to what is happening in the Arab world which breeds such terrorist elements as Al Qaeda. The report was astounding.
There is not room enough in this letter to give the details, but suffice to say this: The report gave full account of the stunning decay of the Arab world and the conditions that produced Al Qaeda. These conditions involved economics, education, civil rights, political rights, unemployment and all manner of life.
Now the equally stunning fact is that in the 10 years since 9/11, these conditions are no better, in fact, in many cases, they're worse. And we know that this tremendous discontent within the Arab world people spills over into the rest of the Middle East and surely is bred right into the Taliban mindset.
And these Afghan soldiers live side-by-side with members of the Taliban. Who are Taliban, and who are just regular Afghan people? Who is more intimidating, the American troops or the murderous Taliban who are often your neighbors? What are you, the average Afghan soldier, really fighting for?
About the only thing this proves, in my opinion, is this: Military might from the U.S. is not the answer to anything in the Middle East. Our military presence is only further adding to the already bleak and hopeless conditions in these countries and regions of the world and causing more anger and discontent.
The actions of these young Afghan soldiers in need of work are just one bit of clear evidence of the hopelessness and confusion so pervasive among the people in the whole Middle East.
My view is that as long as we think that military might is the answer, it will be just as long as we are faced with the untenable and unresolvable.
Bob McClellan
Polson
