Dick Kazan Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:53 am
"I've got great news," said Dr. Miller, a renowned 50-year-old history professor, to his students. "Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai wants to meet with the Taliban leader to negotiate a peace agreement."
"What!" shouted 23-year-old Judy, one of Dr. Miller's top graduate students, "Do you realize how many U.S. soldiers lost their lives putting Karzai in power and keeping him there? Do you know how many U.S. lives have been lost trying to rid that place of the Taliban?"
[Dear Reader, this class is FICTITIOUS but the Afghan war debate points are real. How would you reply to it? What would you say to the U.S. government? To the U.S. media? What ever it is, please say it, for your voice matters and it could help to end the war there.]
"I know how many lives have been lost," replied Dr. Miller. "And that's the point. Trusting their government, brave U.S. soldiers invaded Afghanistan, killing many people and many soldiers were killed as well. Those killings continue today on both sides, even as we speak. And yes, the soldiers do keep Mr. Karzai in power.
"But they too are terrorists," added Dr. Miller, "As they attempt to kill as many Taliban as they can, however they identify people as Taliban and they kill large numbers of innocent men, women and children as well."
"America doesn't abandon its friends," replied a disgruntled Judy. "And war is ugly but necessary to stamp out evil."
"Judy, how long should America fight," inquired Toby, a 28-year-old teaching assistant.
"As long as necessary," replied Judy in a huff. "Until we've won that war!"
"How will you know when we've won," asked Toby. "The U.S. can't get rid of the Taliban. They are a part of that nation and they have a large following."
"This whole thing is crazy," said Stan, a 24-year-old top graduate student. "Dr. Miller are you saying that in the Afghan democratic process the Taliban by negotiating with Karzai could soon play a much bigger role?"
"I am saying that," remarked Dr. Miller. "Because that is the nature of a democracy. The people choose their political leaders. That's what the U.S. government said it wanted for Afghanistan, a democracy.
"In fact President Bush called this invasion and occupation, 'Operation Enduring Freedom.' "
"But in the democratic process," responded Judy almost overwhelmed by what she was about to say, "The people could vote out the democracy and choose another form of government. They could even put a brutal ruler in power!"
"That's what happened in Nazi Germany," replied Dr. Miller."In the 1930's the German people ceded all power to Adolf Hitler, which ended their democracy." He did not mention to his class that his parents are Holocaust survivors and that most of his family perished in the Nazi death camps.
"In this case, President Karzai is willing to share power with the Taliban and with a powerful warlord who used to be prime minister," said Dr. Miller. "Then the Afghan people would vote for their leaders from among them and from others who run for office.
"You may not be aware of it," added Dr. Miller, "But President Karzai already shares power with warlords, which is also how he has remained in authority since shortly after the 2001 U.S. invasion.
"Compared to Iraq," Dr. Miller continued, "Afghanistan has been relatively peaceful and therefore has cost far fewer U.S. soldiers their lives. But the Taliban has gotten stronger, struck alliances and expanded their military attacks. They intend to involve the U.S. in a bigger, far more costly war.
"Is this what happened to the Soviet Union when they invaded Afghanistan," asked Stan.
"It is," replied Dr. Miller. "Starting in 1979, the Soviet Union eventually sent over 100,000 heavily armed troops to keep an Afghan government in power. But those the U.S. called the 'Freedom Fighters,' fought them until in 1989, the Soviet Union had been bankrupted and defeated. People called that war, 'Russia's Vietnam'.
"Among the 'Freedom Fighters' that defeated the Soviet Union were the Taliban, al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden," continued Dr. Miller. "And they were heavily armed by the U.S. government. Arms they possess today and use against U.S. soldiers.
"Dr. Miller, please forgive me," said 21-year-old student Gina, "But this is almost unbelievable."
"I know," said Dr. Miller. "But it gets even stranger. When they were in power the Taliban crushed most of the illegal drug trade for religious reasons. This angered many of the warlords, who then supported the U.S. invasion.
"But under President Karzai, this drug trade resumed and is now at record levels," added Dr. Miller. "Not only because the warlords want it. Afghanistan is a very poor nation and many of its people feed and house their families by harvesting the huge poppy crops that become opium, heroin and other illegal drugs, that are then shipped all over the world.
"The U.S. is the biggest customer for these illegal drugs," said Dr. Miller as he shook his head in dismay. "And it has helped to make a mockery of the U.S.'s very expensive 'War on Drugs.' "
"Speaking of all the billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars wasted on the 'War on Drugs,' said Molly, a 35-year-old graduate student, "Think of the hundreds of billions of tax dollars that have been spent on the Afghanistan war."
"It has been very costly," replied Dr. Miller. "The sad thing is that money could have been used to build schools, hospitals and homes in Afghanistan, and provide Afghanis with clean water, electricity and other essential needs. It could have been used in the U.S. to help shore-up Social Security, Medicare and provide medical insurance and hot school lunches to poor children.
"Instead, it was spent on the military," sighed Molly. "And now the money is gone."
"Yes, you are right Molly," Dr. Miller replied. "But sadly, vast sums of new U.S. taxpayer money is being spent on this Afghanistan war and without a peace agreement, there is no end in sight to the spending."
"So why does Mr. Karzai now want to make peace with the Taliban," asked Stan.
"At the time of the invasion," said Dr. Miller, "The United Nations Security Council authorized the formation of the International Security Assistance Force, comprised of NATO troops, many of whom are American. They've used their military might to assist President Karzai assert his government's authority over Afghanistan.
"But much of what this force does is aerial bombing," Dr. Miller continued, "Which has killed many innocent men, women and children. It certainly has not won the hearts and minds of the people. And outside of Kabul, Afghanistan's capitol, the Karzai government has remained weak."
"So the UN is already involved," said Stan. "How do they feel about these peace overtures? How does NATO feel?"
"They are both encouraging them," replied Dr. Miller.
"How does the U.S. government feel about Karzai's peace overtures," asked Judy defiantly.
"They strongly oppose it," answered Dr. Miller. "And try to prevent it."
"And rightfully so," said Judy with anger in her voice. "We've already paid such a big price there and it goes right to the heart of our 'War on Terror,' however many more years we have to fight. If we're not going to fight in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden is probably hiding, where else other than Iraq and maybe Iran will we fight for peace?
"If we have to use force in Afghanistan to keep a government in power that supports us, so be it, even if the people there oppose it," Judy added. "It's ugly but it's necessary for peace even if we have to put a strong, brutal ruler in charge. One who can keep order, at all costs!"
"You mean a leader like Saddam Hussein," Stan asked.
Dick
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