This November marks eight years since the beginning of the U.S.-led war against Afghanistan, triggered by the horrific occurrence of 9/11. Over the course of the past eight years, the failure of U.S. forces to either locate Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan and ëweapons of mass destructioní in Iraq or reduce terrorism in the region speaks volumes for the ineffectiveness of going to war. Interestingly, On Oct. 28, 2009, U.S. Civilian Adviser in Afghanistan Mathew Hoh became the first military official to resign from office in protest of the war. What may be more interesting is his reason for filing the resignation.
Hoh based his resignation on the grounds that the war was fueling insurgency, aggravating the volatile situation in Afghanistan, and was a waste of U.S. resources in the form of military expenditure and precious lives of U.S. soldiers. As a former Marine Corps captain and a veteran of the Iraq War, Hoh claimed he had little problems with the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and was more concerned about ìthe precise reasons for why the war was even being pursued.”
As an international student from Pakistan, I can, beyond the shadow of a doubt, second his opinion that the U.S.-led war is indeed augmenting insurgency. My experiences in Pakistan have led me to believe that for every 10 civilian deaths that occur in Pakistan or Afghanistan as a result of military strikes, two terrorists are borne, as close relatives of those who die tend to seek revenge by conducting suicide bombings. The causes of such behavior are beyond the scope of this brief article, however, I have come across recent statistics that support Hohís argument.
Terrorism has claimed more lives in the month of October 2009, than it has ever before. In Pakistan, the deadliest terrorist attack in the past five years left over 100 people dead and more than 500 injured at a time when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was visiting the country. Educational institutions throughout the country announced a week-long closure amid intense security concerns. On the other hand, in a separate suicide attack in Iraq, 155 people were killed and many others wounded. The New York Times published an article covering the incident with the headline ìBombings in Iraq Deadliest Since 2007.” In addition, in the aftermath of the deaths of 55 US soldiers in Afghanistan, ABCNews reported on Oct. 27 that the month had proven to be ëdeadliestí since 2001.
Since the first U.S. forces landed in Afghanistan in 2001, allied forces have claimed to have killed approximately 50,000 Taliban and have suffered deaths of approximately 5,000 U.S. soldiers in military operations in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Contrary to what one would expect, the result of such intense combat seems to be an upsurge in the frequency of suicide bombings in these Middle-Eastern countries. It seems only logical to ask ourselves ó should President Barack Obama approve the dispatch of more troops to Afghanistan when most recent statistics demonstrate that war is only aggravating insurgency and breeding terrorism? Or should he instead issue orders to initiate the formulation of some sort of a withdrawal strategy even if it is far into the future?
Those advocating for continued warfare often argue that, ìwe cannot just abandon the country or we would be wreaking havoc on its economy and government.” And I agree with all such critics. However, on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis, I am convinced that it is better to abandon a country if the presence of U.S. military operations inevitably leads to adverse affects. Then there are some who argue that U.S. soldiers in the Middle East are only keeping the terrorists away from American cities. This argument is fundamentally flawed as the presence of thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan cannot restrict the increasing frequency of suicide bombings in these countries. How can they be preventing insurgents from conducting attacks in the U.S.? Moreover, in 2001, terrorism was recognized as a global concern that rooted from some countries. The increase of terrorist activities in any part of the world will eventually put all other countries at a greater risk of suffering from terrorism.
The solution to the menace of terrorism will have to be elaborate, complicated and through relatively peaceful means. The solution revolves around eradicating anti-government feelings among inhabitants of Middle Eastern countries, providing them with jobs, and attempting to drive them out of poverty through better education and job opportunities.