[WSMDiscuss] The Tragic Tale of an Accursed Land: Afghanistan: A Documentary Film

[Sukla Sen]

I. The US went to, and invaded, Afghanistan in (super-prompt) response to
9/11 (in 2001) - too traumatic for itself while the rest of the world
exhibited a range of responses, from triumphant jubilation to utter shock.
*In order to root out "global terrorism"*.
*That was the mission*.

After about a decade, in a Bond-like operation, the Al Qaeda supremo was
captured from his hideout in Pakistan - apparently under the protection of
the country's military.
He'd be killed and dumped in the sea - presumably to ensure that his
remains cannot be made use of to fan the flames of "terrorism".
The organisation - which had understandably masterminded the crime, has
since seemed to have lost its teeth.
Another (rival) one would come up in the Middle-East - in an even bigger
way.
That also looks to be very much past its prime.

In Afghanistan itself, the local Islamist organisation, which - as the
ruling power, had provided the operational base to Laden, however, managed
to weather the furious storm unleashed against it by the NATO forces
spearheaded by the US by burrowing itself deep in the countryside.
Eventually, as the battle-weary US started withdrawing - the power
structure comprised of locals installed by it simply melted away, at a
lightening speed - indicating the degree of its rootlessness and the lack
of will to fight back.

II. *Evidently, the bulk of the Afghan (toiling) masses pine for or are at
least quite tolerant towards Sharia rule, enslavement of women, elimination
of various minorities, rejection of modern civilised values etc.*

*That, nevertheless, makes none of these any more desirable or, even,
acceptable.*

*The notions of sovereignty, self-determination etc. all flow from the
mother/fundamental notion of human rights.*
*Any isolated fragment cannot - morally speaking, override the broader
framework from which it flows.*
*That's just impermissible*.

III. These are two separate but, in the subject case, intimately
intertwined issues.

<http://mainstreamweekly.net/article11452.html>

Also relevant:
I. 'Malala: I Survived the Taliban. I Fear for My Afghan Sisters.': <
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/opinion/malala-afghanistan-taliban-women.html
>.
II. <https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1427181694176608256?s=19>.
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