Posted on 05/30/2005 11:02:50 AM PDT by smoothsailing
'Forgotten war' continues
The recent visit to the United States of Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's first democratically elected president in a history spanning 5,000 years, did not receive as much attention as it deserved. Overshadowed by the violent drama unfolding in Iraq, Afghanistan's progress has been unappreciated and the war that is still being fought there has been almost forgotten. President Karzai and the Afghan people deserve greater recognition for the transformation that has been achieved with the help of the United States and, to a lesser but still important extent, by America's NATO allies.
Upon his return to Kabul Friday, President Karzai returned to the theme that he has constantly expressed: The fear that Afghanistan will be forgotten. According to Reuters news agency, he was able to report: "We got what we wanted. We were searching for an assurance from the United States that Afghanistan would not be forgotten after the parliamentary elections, after the completion of the Bonn process." He was referring to the Sept. 18 parliamentary elections that will mark the end of the international community's commitment to Afghan security under the terms of the Bonn agreement drawn up after the overthrow of the Taliban regime at the end of 2001.
The assurance he sought was the declaration of strategic partnership that he co-signed with President Bush in Washington. Neither President Karzai nor the Afghan people will ever forget that the United States left Afghanistan in the lurch when the Soviet Union finally withdrew its troops and Afghanistan was no longer the scene of a proxy battle in the Cold War. In the aftermath, the country was torn apart by tribal rivalries, allowing the religious fanaticism of the Taliban to triumph and, in turn, provided Osama bin Laden with a headquarters in a fortress-nation for his al-Qaida terrorist network.
President Karzai, who has proved to be a courageous ally of the United States, has not forgotten what happened in the early 1990s when Afghanistan was left to its own devices. He told the Afghan people Friday, "Afghanistan will take many, many more years [before it is] able to firmly stand on its own feet." Under the partnership agreement, U.S. forces will retain the air base at Bagram, near Kabul, and other military facilities. "The joint declaration we signed in Washington enables Afghanistan to live in peace and co-existence with its neighbors based on bilateral interests and mutual respect," said President Karzai.
This Memorial Day, Americans should recommit to the democracy that is burgeoning in Afghanistan and honor the 144 U.S. soldiers who gave their lives to end the tyranny and the terror imposed by the Taliban and al-Qaida. Since March, 24 American soldiers have been killed and more than 320 people have died, including 192 enemy fighters, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press from U.S. and Afghan officials. It is too early to talk of a withdrawal of U.S. forces, handing over military control, or Afghan prisoners, to the Afghan government.
The "forgotten war" in Afghanistan is far from over.
Shoot, I hate the press! I haven't forgotten Afghanistan. Have you? They don't report something adequately, then turn around and scold their customers for having "forgotten" it. Hey, we aren't driving this bus. If we were, it would be going in a different direction!
no war is ever forgotten..
correct me if im wrong
that is our freedom
smarten up..
The Korean war was called the forgotten war.
The MSM only remember wars in which victory is claimed by communists.
I have no use for such people.As for you, enjoy your freedom.
That is the point of the editorial.
Eh? The point of the editorial is that we have forgotten Afghanistan and we shouldn't. My point is that, just because the news media has the attention span of a fruit fly and has ceased to report on Afghanistan in any meaningful way, doesn't mean it's forgotten. They aren't the Mind of America. Just its mouth.
sorry dood
i thought you were the one writing the article.
my bad
i respect all soldiers of the U.S.A.
Memorial Day should include canada too..
maybe not due to lack of democracy
would be nice to have a senate, and a right to vote for a national leader
Far too many Americans need reminding of the sacrifices that are made for their freedom.
But that's my point. I'm not at all sure that's the case. The only evidence we have that the public is not interested is that the media is not reporting, and I think that's pretty lousy evidence.
It's like the way the media made Jessica Lynch a hero, and then castigated the public for making Jessica Lynch a hero. They blame their mistakes on the public at large because they believe themselves to be the perfect and absolute mirror of the public at large.
'Tis crap.
Afganistan would be remembered by their customers IF they produced something useful.. At least more useful that heroin.. or opium.. Something?.. even the latest goat herd wear.. straw hats... something..
Afganistan is doomed to be irrelevant unless that happens.. until till THEN they are mere beggars.. beGGing..
There are many sources of information that are available to us that don't parrot the MSM agenda.Too many people don't bother to look.That in my book is laziness and disinterest.
The Charleston paper is OK, but the Washington Times and Pittsburgh Tribune Review are far better.Day to Day goings in Afghanistan and Iraq are objectively reported at the Armed Forces Information website.
No American can credibly plead ignorance by blaming the media.
Who's pleading ignorance? You've got an article by a journalist claiming people are interested in something the mainstream media aren't reporting. I say, neither one of you have any idea what the public thinks about it, and it's blazing arrogance to opine otherwise.
Fine, I can accept that.Nice chatting with you.
Yes, I remember.
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