The Illusion of “Afghanistan”, An Intersection of Ethnic Comfort Zones……………
“Several hundred Afghan National Army recruits marched 22 miles Tuesday on an undulating path at the foot of the towering Hindu Kush mountains, toting M-16 rifles and carrying 20-pound packs on their backs. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Cousan, a Louisiana native, marched every step of the way with them, but he carried only an iPod. Cousan was more consultant than drill sergeant. He was there to watch, and when necessary to give advice through an interpreter. The effort to enlarge and train the Afghan army is critical to the Obama administration's plan to defeat the Taliban and al Qaida, pacify much of Afghanistan and begin to withdraw at least some U.S. forces in 2011. Success, however, is far from guaranteed: The Afghan military remains plagued by corruption, ethnic rivalries and illiteracy, and by its almost complete dependence on American logistical and intelligence support………….” McClatchy News
Mohammed Taraki, Babrak Karmal, and Hafizullah Amin (look them up) also tried to command an “Afghan” army. They had the logistic, financial, and direct military support of that other superpower, the USSR. They tried to upset the tribal-ethnic comfort zones of that non-country. Like the British before them, they did not realize that Afghanistan is more an intersection and an accommodation of various comfort zones than a country, a nation-state. The British tried to nail down the Afghan "jello" with their "superior" military, but their goal was simpler than the Soviet and American goals.
The eventual winner among superpowers thwarted all that pointless effort with logistic, financial, and military help. Oh, and that winning superpower, with her Arab royal allies, also created the hatcheries for Islamic Salafi Wahhabi Jihadists that haunt us all today and make all our lives that much more difficult. The eventual winner of the Cold War basically dealt with the Salafist devil in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of the Middle East. That eventual winner of the Cold war has not learned the lessons of the past two centuries.
But hey, IT happens.
Cheers and Happy New Year
mhg
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