Defense Department Regular Briefing (Will you see this on the MSM?)

Department Of Defense ^ | 20 Sep 2005 | DOD

[msnimje]

General Myers.

GEN. MYERS: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. And good afternoon.

As the secretary mentioned, we have seen successful elections in Afghanistan, demonstrating that perseverance and determination of the coalition and the Afghan government will indeed prevail. Afghan security forces have grown to more than 76,000 and continue to progress. And as you know, there are about 17,000 U.S. troops, more than 3,000 coalition forces, and more than 11,000 International Security and Assistance Forces, or the ISAF forces, presently providing security in Afghanistan.

Sunday I was at home and got a call from General Eikenberry. And he said, "I'm sorry to bother you on Sunday, but I know you get a lot of bad news from time to time; let me give you some good news." And of course it was late in the evening there in Afghanistan when he called, and he said from sunset the day before elections to the current time, sunset after elections in Afghanistan, he said there have been 40 security incidents, none of them having a major impact -- although we did have one French soldier killed in one of those incidents. But he said, more importantly, at the 6,000 polling places, things went smoothly.

And he says, let me give you one anecdote, one tiny anecdote. He said there was a small village in the northeast of Afghanistan over the Hindu Kush, and we sent a team in there, Afghan-U.S. team in there to provide the ballots so they could vote. They got to a point where they could go no longer in the mountains and they had to hike the last 20 kilometers. When they got to the village, this small village, the villagers already had heard about the fact they were coming and were lined up to vote. And in addition, they had thrown flowers in their path as they came forward to present the ballots so they could vote.

It says a lot about the Afghan people. It also says a lot about the coalition and Afghan security forces who made the effort to hike over the Hindu Kush 20 kilometers to make sure Afghan people could vote.

[msnimje]

What Gen. Myers said brought tears of Joy to my eyes. Of course, the MSM is absent on this once again. There is much more at the URL.

[jveritas]

Great news.

[Capriole]

I read that before the last election, the women of Afghanistan were so determined to vote that they were willing to do so even if it meant their deaths. Some women ritually bathed and dressed themselves as if for a coffin, anticipating death. And still they went to the polls. How many Americans would do that? Other people are willing to die for the right to vote, and we are for the most part too lazy to drive our SUVs to the polls.

[msnimje]

Other people are willing to die for the right to vote, and we are for the most part too lazy to drive our SUVs to the polls.

And Bitch about waiting in line.

[roses of sharon]

The networks should be shamed into showing full pressers from the DOD, pressers from the military and the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan.

In prime time every day.

Information to the citizens of the US should be easily accessible, why can't the networks sacrifice?

[msnimje]

Information to the citizens of the US should be easily accessible, why can't the networks sacrifice?
Good point.

[LachlanMinnesota]

I get depressed hearing good news...for it makes me again think of how many in this country hate the fact that there is good news about people other than ourselves. How can anyone value the freedom of these people any less than they value their own? I guess they don't know what they have until it is gone.