Afghanistan, in Today's News 02.13.10

Afghanistan. The much publicized US and allies' offensive in Marjah, Afghanistan, has begun. The media is treating this action as if it had the importance of say, the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, has a page one lead that jumps to an entire page devoted to the offensive.

But, it is all absurd. The US is in reality invading a town of some 75,000 people that threatens no one. Here's how the WSJ describes the town: "Marjah...[is] spread out over a vaguely rectangular area some 12 miles north to south, and about six miles wide at points. Much of the town is farmland, with clusters of houses and shops. It is crisscrossed with canals and irrigation ditches built with US foreign aid in the 1950." And: "Marjah...is spread over an area with no paved roads and few modern conveniences, not even regular electricity."

And so it takes a fully armed assault of 7,500 troops backed up with helicopters to capture this hapless farm area that is barely a village. The WSJ reports, "The immediate resistance to the landings [of troops] was very light..." [!!!!!]

Wow, can you imagine that. No resistance. And the media is terming this a major battle and potential victory.

In reality the 'allies' are stepping in with overwhelming military force to turn the lives of the villagers upside down. As Lt. Col. Calvin Worth, commander of the main assault force, said, "The people of Marjah will wake up to a new Afghan government tomorrow."

Lt. Col. Worth ought to be ashamed of himself. Compare his words with that of any of the founding fathers of the US regarding creating a new government. Worth's approach betrays the great ideals of the founding documents of the US, which emphasized getting rid of the foreign oppressors so that the people themselves could organize their own government.

Instead the US is bringing in what they call a "government-in-a-box," a ready-made administration that is intended to allow the Afghan government to quickly reassert its authority. 

"Coalition commanders hoped the presence of so many troops in Marjah would convince tribal elders to side with the government..." (WSJ) They won't convince anyone. They might intimidate people into tolerating the authority of the corrupt Kabul regime, but they won't convince a soul. 

This orientation is not how a Christian nation ought to act. Where is the compassion and the desire to help people with their lives as they actually exist? The orientation is instead an imitation of how the Israelis do business. Brute force to take over an area. And so we have further evidence of the de-Christian-izing of America.

It will be interesting to follow this offensive. It won't be long until the rationalizations begin to explain the lack of accomplishment.

One final note: How are the allies going to determine who is a Taliban fighter and who is a villager? The Afghan government has an answer. "Afghan soldiers know how to 'tell the difference between the terrorists and the farmers,' said Mohammad Zahir Azini, a spokesman for the Afghan military." (WSJ)

Yeah, right. How many times were similar words heard in Vietnam where whole villages were destroyed to 'save' them? Any Afghan males in Marjah over about 12-years-old would be well advised to run for their lives if they don't want to be shot or end up in some stockade.