[Peace-discuss] Voice from Afghanistan

[C. G. Estabrook]

[US out of Afghanistan.  No more of Obama's lies.]

"The unjust policies that the Nato countries have pursued under the leadership 
of the US government [have led to] a brutal occupation that ultimately serves 
only American strategic interests in the region ... this vote will have no 
legitimacy, and once again it seems the real choice will be made behind closed 
doors in the White House [because] Obama has pursued the same policy as 
Bush in Afghanistan. Sending more troops and expanding the war into Pakistan 
will only add fuel to the fire ... This week, US vice-president Joe Biden asserted 
that 'more loss of life [is] inevitable' in Afghanistan, and that the ongoing 
occupation is in the 'national interests' of both the US and the UK."

     The big lie of Afghanistan
     Inquiries into the 954 deaths in police custody since 1990 
     have all proved fruitless - and then this historic case comes along 
     By Malalai Joya

In 2005, I was the youngest person elected to the new Afghan parliament. 
Women like me, running for office, were held up as an example of how the war 
in Afghanistan had liberated women. But this democracy was a facade, and the 
so-called liberation a big lie.

On behalf of the long-suffering people of my country, I offer my heartfelt 
condolences to all in the UK who have lost their loved ones on the soil of 
Afghanistan. We share the grief of the mothers, fathers, wives, sons and 
daughters of the fallen. It is my view that these British casualties, like the many 
thousands of Afghan civilian dead, are victims of the unjust policies that the 
Nato countries have pursued under the leadership of the US government.

Almost eight years after the Taliban regime was toppled, our hopes for a truly 
democratic and independent Afghanistan have been betrayed by the continued 
domination of fundamentalists and by a brutal occupation that ultimately serves 
only American strategic interests in the region.

You must understand that the government headed by Hamid Karzai is full of 
warlords and extremists who are brothers in creed of the Taliban. Many of 
these men committed terrible crimes against the Afghan people during the civil 
war of the 1990s.

For expressing my views I have been expelled from my seat in parliament, and I 
have survived numerous assassination attempts. The fact that I was kicked out 
of office while brutal warlords enjoyed immunity from prosecution for their 
crimes should tell you all you need to know about the "democracy" backed by 
Nato troops.

In the constitution it forbids those guilty of war crimes from running for high 
office. Yet Karzai has named two notorious warlords, Fahim and Khalili, as his 
running mates for the upcoming presidential election. Under the shadow of 
warlordism, corruption and occupation, this vote will have no legitimacy, and 
once again it seems the real choice will be made behind closed doors in the 
White House. As we say in Afghanistan, "the same donkey with a new saddle".

So far, Obama has pursued the same policy as Bush in Afghanistan. Sending 
more troops and expanding the war into Pakistan will only add fuel to the fire. 
Like many other Afghans, I risked my life during the dark years of Taliban rule 
to teach at underground schools for girls. Today the situation of women is as 
bad as ever. Victims of abuse and rape find no justice because the judiciary is 
dominated by fundamentalists. A growing number of women, seeing no way 
out of the suffering in their lives, have taken to suicide by self-immolation.

This week, US vice-president Joe Biden asserted that "more loss of life [is] 
inevitable" in Afghanistan, and that the ongoing occupation is in the "national 
interests" of both the US and the UK.

I have a different message to the people of Britain. I don't believe it is in your 
interests to see more young people sent off to war, and to have more of your 
taxpayers' money going to fund an occupation that keeps a gang of corrupt 
warlords and drug lords in power in Kabul.

What's more, I don't believe it is inevitable that this bloodshed continues 
forever. Some say that if foreign troops leave Afghanistan will descend into civil 
war. But what about the civil war and catastrophe of today? The longer this 
occupation continues, the worse the civil war will be.

The Afghan people want peace, and history teaches that we always reject 
occupation and foreign domination. We want a helping hand through 
international solidarity, but we know that values like human rights must be 
fought for and won by Afghans themselves.

I know there are millions of British people who want to see an end to this 
conflict as soon as possible. Together we can raise our voice for peace and 
justice.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/25/afghanistan-
occupation-taliban-warlords