To Peace

I know no one pays attention Afghanistan these days. And why should we? A sorrier country of contradictions is hard to find. We attacked them to free the population and bring democracy and womens rights to the tired masses yearning to breath free. And what do we get? 35-40% of aid being routed back to the US and women setting themselves on fire in rising numbers to escape their lives. Good work!

However, this is a silver lining. On Wednesday, a New York Times reporter we didn't know had been kidnapped was rescued after a daring raid by British Commandos! Yay, freedom!

Sadly, the reporter's translator, also kidnapped, did not make it and was killed during the firefight. Hmmm, an Afghani local with higher education who helps an American and is killed in the process. You know who he kind of sounds like? Wellington Yinsen from the 2008 Iron Man movie. The lesson here seems to be, the American is worth saving but the brown man is not. I'm guessing people in Afghanistan are tired of having this message beaten into them time and time again.

The New York Times reporter probably knows this message himself. He had been kidnapped while investigating a bombing by the US that is said to have killed up to 70 Afghani civilians.

Lila Schow
Because Responsible Citizens Clean Up After Their Government http://goodusgov.org/

Oh Afghanistan, how far you've come (baby)

Here's a BBC article about the progress of Afghanistan now that the US has cleared the country of those oppressive Taliban. Wait. Sorry. It's really about how a student, Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, has been punished to death for downloading an article about women and their role in Islam.



Probably his biggest mistake was for using the internet for something other than it's intended purpose; porn. I'm guessing if the mullahs had found "big boobies" on his search history instead of "what role does Islam give women" he would have been just fine.



You can sign a petition here. It will do all the good that protesting a war will.

Lila Schow
Because Responsible Citizens Clean Up After Their Government
http://goodusgov.org/

Women’s Equality Day

So August 26 was Women's Equality Day, something I did not know. Which is odd, because as you might have figured out, I’m a woman. You would think there would have been a memo or something.

But fear not! Afghanistan got the news! They celebrated Women’s Equality day by:

· Having US soldiers throw them a party!

· Having western media recognize a woman-run business based in Kandahar.

· Reminding them that they have political equality under Afghanistan’s new constitution.

· Yay, an art show! In India.

· And reading the wonderfully upbeat proclamation from Bush–oh wait, that was 4 years ago. But still, spot on mate!

· And what about when the pentagon reminded Afghanistan that sending our service women over there “demonstrates our nation's belief that women should be considered equal citizens in all societies” and then they set up voter registration … shit, that was back in 2004 too.

Damn, it’s like our government has just given up. I don’t really have to tell you that all this is bullshit, do I? I mean, no one seriously believes that the US has done any good in that country, right? Please tell me that my own citizens aren’t that stupid.

The men and women of Afghanistan are building a nation that is free, and proud, and fighting terror - and America is honored to be their friend. George W. Bush

Afghanistan, we don’t read about anymore, because it’s succeeded. –John McCain on Charlie Rose 10-31-2005

I would take issue with the characterization that there’s anything desperate about the situation in Afghanistan, anything urgent or precarious about the situation in Afghanistan. – Pentagon
spokesperson Geoff Morrell Aug 5, 2008

Riiiiight. Okay, that’s about what I expected. Hey, does anyone else want to know what happened on Women's Equality Day in Afghanistan?

· Afghan President Karzai pardoned men convicted of bayonet gang rape of a woman searching for her kidnapped her son

· Rawa reported that violence against women has increased 40% since 2007

· 100 women set fire to themselves in a six-month period in western Afghanistan.

· Weddings! Of old men to children. And then “wedding night” injuries that land these little girls in the hospital. (don’t like this whole child bride shit? Too bad, because it makes up 57% of all marriages in Afghanistan)

· Nice, roomy schools opened – with no furniture, teachers or female students.

· Afghan President Karzai’s wife is a gynecologist who can’t open her practice anywhere in the country

· Because of the impending famine, families who make $120 a year will now be able to spend $35 of that … on a bag of flour

· Women are free to wear the empowering and totally not oppressive burqas.

· Yeah, and there’s still a buttload of landmines littering the workplace

I guess I’m not the only one who missed Women’s Equality Day. Looks like the entire nation of Afghanistan missed it too. Except for those photo ops.

Lila Schow

Because Responsible Citizens Clean Up After Their Government

http://goodusgov.org/

I Paid $37M for THIS POS?

As you may know, I enjoy tracking what little the US spends on actual rebuilding in Afghanistan. It's been rather quiet lately. Since about 2001, I'd say.

But then today! Oh joy of joys! I was sorting through the unread news in my inbox. I'm ashamed to say this breaking event happened back in August. Sorry it's so late. But it's relevant, I swear! And I promise, nothing this big has been built in the past four months.

Afghan and Tajik leaders have inaugurated a new bridge linking their countries across River Panj.

I was so excited. But then I looked at the photo.

WTF, thought I. My tax dollars paid for this piece of shit? Greg Mortenson built a bridge in Pakistan for $10,000, what the fuck is going on here? Admittedly, it's not a very good photo. I decided to look for another. But Google kept giving me the same image. So I switched to Yahoo, knowing someone had to have a private picture that was better than the BBC's. And they did!

Again, I was confused. Two bridges? That's not what I saw in the BBC photo. I looked again. There are two bridges! Then I found another photo on the flickr site.

A pic of the temporary bridge and early construction

Aha! Problem solved. Clearly the BBC used a photo including the temporary bridge. See? The same pile of dirt is in both, off to the lower left-hand side there. One final photo put everything in place.

Whew! There's a bridge that looks like it's about ... well, $4 million at least. I feel so much better. Except, what the hell? How come the BBC couldn't get a better angle of the bridge? I did it in 3.5 seconds. Or at least put an explanation on the caption.

Which has me reexamining the article.

The $37m (£18.4m) project, a US gift, replaces an intermittent ferry service across the fast-flowing river.

Thanks to expatjim2000's photos I know it was the temporary bridge that replaced the ferry service. (and, btw, that water looks pretty lazy to me)

So, what was the gift? The kick ass $34 million dollar behemoth, or the not-so-pretty temporary bridge?

For Washington this is a showcase project, a proof that things can go right for Afghanistan and its neighbours, [BBC's Natalia Antelava] says.

Dude, you guys can't even get a nice photo for the showcase, I'm not exactly cheering in my seat here. And while a bridge is great news, I think there are bigger issues that need to be addressed.

These...

Insurgencies Spread in Afghanistan and Pakistan
NATO Allies Divided Over Growing Afghan Crisis
Afghanistan - The Next Disaster
Blast kills top Afghan official
Bush Ignores Afghan School Violence
Afghan MPs back blasphemy death
British plans to arm Afghan militias reignite tensions with US
Ten Die in Mistaken Afghan Firefight
Canadian Military Has Quit Turning Detainees Over to Afghans
US Afghan poppy drive a 'failure'
Afghan Civilians Were Killed Needlessly, Ex-Marine Testifies
Afghanistan appeals for food aid

...come to mind.

Lila Schow
Because Responsible Citizens Clean Up After Their Government http://goodusgov.org/