Comments on: Compassion for Afghanistan http://www.passionistjpic.org/2009/12/compassion-for-afghanistan/ Offering the world a passion for life Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:29:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Michael Hoolahan http://www.passionistjpic.org/2009/12/compassion-for-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-156 Michael Hoolahan Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:07:24 +0000 http://www.passionistjpic.org/?p=837#comment-156 John, my thoughts are very much in line with Sebastian's. Taliban rule is unjust rule. The "peace" they bring is not true peace. Sebatian speaks about a military presence that is mostly defensive. That I think is a recipie for remaining there forever. The surge is meant to root out the Taliban from areas they control. The Afghan military must be trained to take up the defensive posture when the Taliban are destoyed as a coherent fighting force. I hope I am not too militaristic. John, my thoughts are very much in line with Sebastian’s. Taliban rule is unjust rule. The “peace” they bring is not true peace.

Sebatian speaks about a military presence that is mostly defensive. That I think is a recipie for remaining there forever. The surge is meant to root out the Taliban from areas they control. The Afghan military must be trained to take up the defensive posture when the Taliban are destoyed as a coherent fighting force.

I hope I am not too militaristic.

]]> By: Sebastian http://www.passionistjpic.org/2009/12/compassion-for-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-141 Sebastian Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:31:36 +0000 http://www.passionistjpic.org/?p=837#comment-141 I don't believe we can accomplish any cultural, educational, political or economic improvement in Afghanistan without a US military presence. I'm not sure that presence would have to be an aggressive one; it would simply have to be a defensive one against Taliban insurgencies. I regard the Taliban as destructive of too many good things that Afghan society needs, such as promotion of women's education and general advancement, and cultural/historical achievements of Afghan civilization (recall the Taliban destruction of the famous carved statues in the cliffs--statues that were centuries old), to allow it (the Taliban) back into a position of hegemony there. Both JPII and Benedict XVI, in addressing the UN, said a war designed to protect a civilian population against the crimes of its own leadership could be justified. I think the Taliban leadership meets that criterion. If the day comes when the Afghan military/police can protect its own people against a kind of genocide (recall Rwanda, the Balkans), then an occupying military force can leave. Otherwise, it should remain to protect the people (unless the people don't want us, and prefer the Taliban) until they can protect themselves. Any military presence of ours should be primarily defensive. If it engages in combat, it should be guerila-style warfare, not mass military conflict. Sebastian I don’t believe we can accomplish any cultural, educational, political or economic improvement in Afghanistan without a US military presence. I’m not sure that presence would have to be an aggressive one; it would simply have to be a defensive one against Taliban insurgencies. I regard the Taliban as destructive of too many good things that Afghan society needs, such as promotion of women’s education and general advancement, and cultural/historical achievements of Afghan civilization (recall the Taliban destruction of the famous carved statues in the cliffs–statues that were centuries old), to allow it (the Taliban) back into a position of hegemony there. Both JPII and Benedict XVI, in addressing the UN, said a war designed to protect a civilian population against the crimes of its own leadership could be justified. I think the Taliban leadership meets that criterion. If the day comes when the Afghan military/police can protect its own people against a kind of genocide (recall Rwanda, the Balkans), then an occupying military force can leave. Otherwise, it should remain to protect the people (unless the people don’t want us, and prefer the Taliban) until they can protect themselves. Any military presence of ours should be primarily defensive. If it engages in combat, it should be guerila-style warfare, not mass military conflict.
Sebastian

]]> By: John Gonzalez http://www.passionistjpic.org/2009/12/compassion-for-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-139 John Gonzalez Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:48:15 +0000 http://www.passionistjpic.org/?p=837#comment-139 Thanks Fr. Phil, Your pessimistic military strategy is also shared by both the Brookings and Carnegie institutions which suggest that the wrong strategy assures failure while the right strategy may offer a 50% chance of success and that by two years we should know where we are headed. But the position of promoting economic development that supports NSP projects and thus steming the tide on the "war of ideas" (along with promoting a democratic accountability in the government) would change the dynamics of this society in a way that could create the moral for the right military strategy (supported by the international community) to actually work. Thanks Fr. Phil, Your pessimistic military strategy is also shared by both the Brookings and Carnegie institutions which suggest that the wrong strategy assures failure while the right strategy may offer a 50% chance of success and that by two years we should know where we are headed.
But the position of promoting economic development that supports NSP projects and thus steming the tide on the “war of ideas” (along with promoting a democratic accountability in the government) would change the dynamics of this society in a way that could create the moral for the right military strategy (supported by the international community) to actually work.

]]> By: Philip Paxton http://www.passionistjpic.org/2009/12/compassion-for-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-138 Philip Paxton Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:57:29 +0000 http://www.passionistjpic.org/?p=837#comment-138 John, I need to reflect more on this issue, but I thank you for reminding me about what is important - the needs of the people. I have looked at the situation in Afghanistan with a feeling that there is not much we can achieve there. The Soviets tried to impose something on the Afghans and failed. So have others throughout history. However, supporting the NSP program you mentioned would be a positive effort. It just may be that supporting projects like that may help us and the Afghans work out the more complicated issues. John,

I need to reflect more on this issue, but I thank you for reminding me about what is important – the needs of the people. I have looked at the situation in Afghanistan with a feeling that there is not much we can achieve there. The Soviets tried to impose something on the Afghans and failed. So have others throughout history.
However, supporting the NSP program you mentioned would be a positive effort. It just may be that supporting projects like that may help us and the Afghans work out the more complicated issues.

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