Friday, June 3, 2011

Afghanistan - Australia’s own killing field.

Afghanistan is proving to be a millstone around our necks. One has to wonder how our Prime Minister Gillard and the leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, can sleep at night giving unqualified support to this insane war in order to please America. They seem to have no qualms sending our young soldiers into harms way to get maimed or killed – what on earth for? I have a great respect and admiration for the Australian Soldiers; they are the best; they should not be sacrificed in Afghanistan.

The number of Australian soldiers killed in this pointless Afghanistan war has now risen to 27. How long will our government allow this to happen, before they realise the futility of being in this country and bring our soldiers home, like many other nations have already done?

No matter what spin our government puts on this, saying how brave the fallen soldiers were and calling them heroes, this is not much of a consolation to their families when they are dead. And the question begs again and again, what for? We are propping up a corrupt government. This is an Islamic culture, which is controlled by war lords and tribal chiefs and it would be accurate to say that they all hate the West and us for being there. Whenever the time comes when the occupying forces leave Afghanistan everything will go back to the way it was before they arrived.

We are building schools for girls despite knowing quite well that their culture is against educating women. The “Men Know Best Culture” doesn’t want their women folk to be enlightened; knowledge could be a dangerous thing for them. Their women have to be servile and obedient.

Women are treated with total disrespect; and most of the population is uneducated and poor. We have no chance of changing this deeply rooted culture. The few women who made it to their parliament are ignored and threatened by their turban and pyjama-like garb wearing male counterparts.

1.Women under siege in Afghanistan.
Afghan female MP Shukria Barakzai has been receiving letters saying she may be targeted by a suicide bomber in the next six months. The cryptic government letter contains an intelligence warning that Ms Barakzai's life is under threat and she should be careful. She is one of six MPs getting such a letter these days. To read more click here.

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2. The plight of the Afghan women.
The vast majority of Afghanistan's population profess to be followers of Islam. Over 1400 years ago, Islam demanded that men and women be equal before God, and gave them various rights such the right to inheritance, the right to vote, the right to work, and even to choose their own partners in marriage. For centuries now in Afghanistan, women have been denied these rights either by official government decree or by their own husbands, fathers, and brothers. During the rule of the Taliban (1996 - 2001), women were treated worse than in any other time or by any other society. They were forbidden to work, leave the house without a male escort, not allowed to seek medical help from a male doctor, and forced to cover themselves from head to toe, even covering their eyes. Women who were doctors and teachers before, suddenly were forced to be beggars and even prostitutes in order to feed their families. To read the full story click here.

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3. Women Lawmakers Battle Warlords.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46028 Click on this link.

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4. Afghanistan passes 'barbaric' law diminishing women's rights.
The Afghan parliament is dominated by men who are former warlords or jihadists and they exclude the women from the decision-making process. Click here to read more.
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And we prop up a regime that treats women as second rate citizens, or worse. This is shameful!

When will we see the futility, like the Russians did when they pulled out of Afghanistan after eight years?


We have been there for 10 years without making any headway. We have only been causing destruction and creating widows in Afghanistan, in Australia and other countries.

There is no light at the end of the Afghan tunnel, but our tunnel visioned politicians haven’t come to grips with this.

The money we spend in Afghanistan would be better spent in flood and cyclone ravaged Queensland. It is absolutely shameful that after four months many Australians still have no place to live, while we spend billions of dollars in Afghanistan. As a matter of fact I heard on the radio that Australia has so far spent 6 billion dollars on this futile war. Just imagine the benefits, had this amount of money been spent on infrastructure in Australia.

A cynic would say that the reason we partake in wars is to keep the armament and ammunition factories working full steam ahead.

It is about time that the Australian people speak up and let the government know what they think about this futile war that is costly to Australia in resources and lives, and patently clear that there isn’t the faintest hope of winning.

I implore all Australians who agree with the above sentiment to talk to their federal members and tell them that sacrificing our young men has to stop. - Werner

My thought for today: - Werner
Conflict cannot survive without your participation. Wayne Dyer

11 comments:

Alex said...

As a former military man and serving in our armed forces for many years, I unreservedly agree with what you have written. Yes, this war is absolutely futile, pointless and our young solders shouldn’t be sacrificed in Afghanistan. Our resources we pour in there is a flagrant waste of taxpayers money.

Australian mother said...

I found your posting very interesting and as a woman very appalling the way they treat their women folk. I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments. It is just a pity that we close both eyes as to what is happening in Afghanistan and we should speak out and tell our politicians that we do not agree with this pointless war and have our soldier killed or maimed. We Australians are unfortunately too blasé about matters that don’t affect us personally. The six billion dollars we have so far wasted in Afghanistan is indeed shameful.

True Blue Aussie said...

Afghanistan - Australia’s own killing field. And, Afghanistan is proving to be a millstone around our necks; puts it in a nutshell. My sentiments exactly!

Unknown said...

I agree wholeheartedly, not wanting to lessen the involvement of those young men who made the sacrifice, but would actually like to know the underlying reason why we are there. What is the agenda??

B. Volker said...

I agree wholeheartedly with the comments prior to mine. This is an interesting read and at the same time galling as to why we waste our taxpayers money on this unwinnable war. Why are so many other countries not involved in the Afghanistan war? Are they perhaps smarter than we, and see the folly of fighting this pointless war and they spend their money in their own country?

Of course, one has to ask also; where is our government finding all this money, which they are handing out to other countries like drunken sailors? Well, they borrow it, and our children and grandchildren have to pay it back. After ten years being in Afghanistan, one would think that our federal politicians have woken up to this folly. However, when America says”jump” to our blinkered leaders, their response is: How high. This looks like going to be another Vietnam for us.

B. Volker said...

I agree wholeheartedly with the comments prior to mine. This is an interesting read and at the same time galling as to why we waste our taxpayers money on this unwinnable war. Why are so many other countries not involved in the Afghanistan war? Are they perhaps smarter than we, and see the folly of fighting this pointless war and they spend their money in their own country? Why do we send our solders in this war started by America? Having our young soldiers killed and maimed in the prime of their lives is indeed pointless and unacceptable.

Of course, one has to ask also; where is our government finding all this money, which they are handing out to other countries like drunken sailors? Well, they borrow it, and our children and grandchildren have to pay it back. After ten years being in Afghanistan, one would think that our federal politicians have woken up to this folly. However, when America says”jump” to our blinkered leaders, their response is: How high. This looks like going to be another Vietnam for us.

JuliaXrayGulfUniform said...

I am a current serving Australian Soldier and want to ask three questions of those sharing the above point of view; Don't you think Australia should contribute to the security of the free world by denying terrorism a place to hide? How do you think abandoning Afghanistan will help the Afghan People(Woman!!)? and don't you value the U.S/Australian Alliance? if not,read about 1942.

Old Digger said...

If you are really a soldier, JuliaXrayGulfUniform, then of course you like soldiering and go wherever the government sends you to fight regardless whether you think it is right or wrong. I value the American alliance, but America has proved many times that they are not always right or doing the right thing. Why have so many countries pulled out of Afghanistan, and why are so many countries not involved in this futile conflict? Perhaps you could tell us this.

Most terrorist have left Afghanistan and have their bases in other countries including Pakistan, and the “insurgents” we are fighting are Afghanistani. To think that the war in Afghanistan brings security to the free world is absolute nonsense. It is well known that the Afghan's hate the West more than the Taliban.

Alan Jones has come out strongly nearly every day on his radio show against the war in Afghanistan; saying that it is pointless and not worth our money or the sacrifice of our young soldiers. I watched the Sixty Minute segment on channel 9;they were talking to American soldiers in Afghanistan. One soldier said: “I ask myself every day, what am I here for?” Well, a valid question; we Australians should ask the same.

I totally agree with all the sentiment expressed in the other comments.

Proud Aussie said...

JuliaXrayGulfUniform, it took the Soviet Union eight years to realize the folly of their war in Afghanistan, how long will it take us to realize that this is a war that cannot be won?

We are morally no different from the psychopaths within the Taliban, who Afghans remember the USA empowered, funded and armed during the 8-year war with the Soviet Union. Washington sowed, unwittingly, the seeds of destruction in Afghanistan. It trained, armed and empowered the militants who now kill them. Death delivered from the air or fields of shiny cluster bombs? This is the language of war. It is what we speak. It is what those we fight speak

It is impossible to change the inherent culture of an Islamic nation like Afghanistan with superior military power where the people are dirt poor; uneducated, living in feudal enclaves and governed by war lords, where cocaine is King, women are considered the lowest ranking humans in this world and the Afghan government is a toothless tiger and subservient to the USA.

Death delivered from the air or fields of shiny cluster bombs? This is the language of war. It is what we speak. It is what those we fight speak.

Activist said...

Absolutely right, Old Digger. Though our alliance with the USA is important, it's time we show some independent thought too, and don't just blindly 'obey' the USA's 'orders.'

Aside from roping us into various dubious wars, they brought us fluoride, a range of highly toxic agricultural chemicals which most other countries have banned, artificial sweeteners, and are now aiming to push their repressive, UNSAFE 'food safety laws' onto us as well.

And unfortunately our intervention has done very little to improve the lot of women in Afghanistan. I doubt that any amount of military intervention will end their backward, misogynistic ways.

JuliaXrayGulfUniform said...

@ "Old Digger", I'm not going to get into some sort of "urinating contest"(if you are really a Soldier?)what do you want my PMKeys? but you state that "you value the America alliance" but seem prepared to let them fight the fight alone, glad I don't have Diggers with that attitude in my section.
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