Pakistan and Afghanistan

Encouragingly, villagers in Kalam, in Pakistan’s Swat valley, have taken up arms and driven the Taliban out of their town. (Zahid Hussain, “Taleban driven out by armed residents of Kalam in the Swat Valley,” Times Online, May 22, 2009) This is type of action represents the only way to defeat terrorists and insurgents. Concomitantly, publicizing true, first person reports of Taliban atrocities and cruelty in areas under Taliban rule will promote anti-Taliban sentiment and support for the government.

Meanwhile, a recent news report on U.S. forces in Afghanistan left me troubled. An Army Captain is under investigation for referring the family of an Afghan detainee to a civilian lawyer. The lawyer has filed a write of habeas corpus seeking the detainee’s release. The Captain acted when he became convinced, through his own research, that the military has apprehended the wrong person through a case of mistaken identity. (Richard A. Oppel, Jr., “U.S. Captain Hears Pleas for Afghan Detainee,” New York Times, May 25, 2009)

Perhaps there is more to story that in the news article. But as the story was reported, the Captain appears to have acted in good faith. When mistakes occur, whether nationally or individually, taking responsible and seeking to set things rights represents the preferred Christian course of action.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates believes that the Taliban has gained the momentum in Afghanistan and that unless the U.S. can achieve significant progress within a year, public pressure in the U.S. will prompt a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. (Yochi J. Dreazen and August Cole, “Gates Says Taliban Have Momentum in Afghanistan,” Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2009) If Gates’ prediction is correct, I wonder if that foreshadows more aggressive, and ultimately self-defeating, military action by U.S. led forces in Afghanistan. I also wonder how many people believe that sending additional twenty-one thousand, or even fifty-one thousand, troops to Afghanistan will actually tip the balance in a country that lacks adequate transportation, has no sense of national unity, and rallies to cooperate only to repel foreigners from Afghan soil.