On 13 Maijs, 22:44, Dmitry <dmitrijsfedot...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On 11 May, 10:43, hol...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Eugene Holman) wrote:
>
>
>
> > In article
> > <572afb17-244b-4490-b7b2-92dd2ab03...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> > =?ISO-8859-13?Q?P=E7teris_Cedri=F2=F0_=28Peteris_Cedrins=29?=
>
> > <cedr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > > On 10 Maijs, 13:10, hol...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Eugene Holman) wrote:
>
> > > [snip]
>
> > > > The two protracted wars that the United
> > > > States has been waging in Afghanistan and Iraq have produced
nothing
> > > > tangible
>
> > > No?
>
> > > 1. The Afghan Army is growing in size, experience, and leadership
> > > capabilities.
>
> > Yes, it can now ensure that the government controls Kabul and some of
its
> > suburbs, at least by day.
>
> > > 2. A recent study found that 90% of the Afghan population trusted
> > > the countries military force.
>
> > I'm not sure what such a survey or such statistics mean in a country
like
> > Afghanistan.
>
> > > 3. More than 4,000 km of roads have been built where only 50 km
> > > existed in 2001.
>
> > Modenr armies don't travel on camelback, so the infrastructure
building is
> > not altruism but self interest.
>
> > > 4. The rehabilitation of the North-East power system has advanced
> > > and access of the rural households to electricit
> > y has been
> > > significantly increased.
>
> > Being that Afghanistan was living essentially in the Middle Ages, one
> > percent would be a "significant increase".
>
> > > 5. In 2007 alone, ISAF nations completed 1,080 civil-military
> > > cooperation (CIMIC) projects.
>
> > The conventions of diplomacy require the "civil" to come before the
> > "military", but in actual life it is often the reverse.
>
> > > 6. 2,000 schools were built or repaired in the last five years
and
> > > around 6.4 million children (including 1.5 million girls) are now in
> > > schools.
>
> > This is an undeniable accomplishment, although one would expect the
number
> > of girls to be approximately 3.2 million. Much obviously remains to be
> > done.
>
> > > 7. Since 2001, both infant and under-five mortality has declined
by
> > > 26% and 22% respectively.
>
> > The stats are still dreadful, though. According to the CIA World
Factbook
> >
(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder...),
> > Afghanistan, with the world's third worst infant mortality rate, takes
the
> > bronze medal in this sorry league.
>
> > > 8. In 2001, 8% of Afghans had access to some form of healthcare.
> > > Now more than 80% of the population has access to medical care.
>
> > Perhaps the American Republican Party can learn something from this.
>
> > > 9. The non-opium economy has grown at an average of 12% over the
> > > past four years; the number of poppy-free provinces has grown from
six
> > > in 2006 to 13 in 2007.
>
> > That would probably have happened without the war.
>
> > > 10. Afghan public support for international involvement in
> > > Afghanistan remains high with around 70% of Afghans supporting the
> > > presence of international forces.
>
> > I would suggest being critical about such statistics. People from the
> > Baltic countries in particular know that it is not a wise idea to
complain
> > in public about their country being occupied when asked by
representatives
> > of the occupiers.
>
> > > 11. The majority of Afghans believe their country is going in the
> > > right direction and 84% support their current government (as opposed
> > > to 4% who would support the Taliban).
>
> > I am certainly no fan of the Taliban, but I am highly sceptical of
these
> > figures.
>
> > > 12. They also maintain a positive view of reconstruction efforts
> > > with 63% saying that reconstruction efforts in their area have been
> > > effective since 2002.
>
> > This I can understand.
>
> >
>http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/04/the_afghanistan_success_story_...
>
> > For a less optimistic assessment,
seehttp://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,534467,00.html
>
> > I still stand by my position that the wars have been a colossal waste
of
> > manpower and resources.
>
> Whilst some people getting killed, some others prosper (weapon
> industry is doing well). Wars we invented for this very reason, today
> the aims and objectives are a slightly more sophisticated, but the
> principal is the same.
>
> > The one thing that these conflits teach us is that
> > modern technological warfare is not an effective strategy for dealing
with
> > these types of problems. The Americans should have learned that lesson
in
> > Vietnam. The Soviets learned it in Afghanistan. The Russians have
> > prevailed in Chechnya only because the area was developed enough for
21st
> > century warfare applied in the most brutal possible manner,
accompanied by
> > massive propaganda to an educated populace as well as by influential
> > locals willing to collaborate, to make the freedom fighters/insurgents
> > understand that they really had something to lose.
>
> > Violence is not the strategy for dealing with problems seemingly
emanating
> > from the poorest and least developed areas of the world.
>
> > The returns for more than five years of protracted warfare in
Afghanistan
> > and Iraq
>
> For Brits the returns are the dead bodies delivered back to UK in
> military planes.
>
> >, with Iran evidently next on the hit-list,
>
> Iran should be fine. Bush will be gone soon and I'm hoping that his
> successor will realise that the wars do not necessarily help the
> economy these days.
>
> > have been surprisingly
> > modest. Ubama bin-Ladin still survives. The Taliban is arguably not
only
> > bigger, stronger, and more respected, but also controls a larger area
and
> > influences more people than at any time in its history. Compare that
with
> > the fate of the Nazis five years after they overstepped the line.
>
> > Regards,
> > Eugene Holman
Western and especially American intervention in Latvia in 1919 was
really awful, too. I mean, British warships killed the people, and the
Americans brought food with all of those strings attached. Woe is me.
/P
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