Heartfelt from Kabul
By SLt David Lewis
http://www.ntm-a.com

It is a somewhat surreal experience to be standing here in Afghanistan. The hot barren mountains of the Hindu Kush which surround the city have been witness to a dramatic stream of human history. I am now part of that history. As I ride in a convoy through the streets of Kabul I am amazed at the differences, and the similarities between here and Canada. On a side street, for example, I see a young father holding the seat of a bicycle while his son learns to ride. The feeling that most consumes me is an overwhelming sense of responsibility. I have a responsibility to the Afghan people who smile and wave to me on the street. I have a responsibility to the mission, and I have an inherent responsibility to those who have preceded me here. It is their dedication and sacrifice that passes the torch to me. I do not accept it lightly.

School enrollment also has increased from 900,000 (mainly boys) to almost seven million (37 percent girls). NTM-A is also reaching out to the civilian sector to establish educational relationships to increase literacy opportunities. One of the core missions is to establish an enduring educational capacity.

GDP has increased from $170 under the Taliban to $1,000 per capita in 2010. Almost all Afghans now have access to basic health services (only nine percent did in 2002). Most of the country is now connected via mobile phones and highways. The powerful force of social media is altering the landscape as over one million Afghans have internet access and over 215,000 have facebook accounts. The fabric of the Afghan society itself is evolving.

The Afghan people, with the help of the world community, are reclaiming Afghanistan.

I think again of the young Afghan father supporting his son as he navigates his new bicycle. I watch the father let go and I see the son move forward on his own, and I think of Afghanistan.

Dear David,

What a positive and heartfelt report on the situation in
Afghanistan. The things we read on the web are not so
rosy. as one website told us:

"Almost 3 decades of conflict have devastated much
of Afghanistan's human, physical, and institutional
infrastructure and insecurity remains a critical
challenge to development efforts."

"Many Afghans lack access to basic services, particularly
in rural areas. Approximately 68% of the populations lack
sustainable access to clean water and 20% of rural
households are chronically food insecure."

"Afghanistan has one of the lowest life expectancy rates
(44 years) and has one of the highest under five
mortality rates in the world (estimated at 257 per 1000
live births)."

"The literacy rate is 43% for men and 12.6% for women.
Access to health care is limited. Less than 10% have
access to safe drinking water and over 40% live over
2 hours from a health facility."

Reading all these statistics paints a very sombre
picture - so the challenges in this country would be
enormous to overcome. Education is vital to making
people (especially women) aware of their rights and
to help them make better choices in their lives.

However, you give us hope with your report and
it's great to read that despite all these challenges,
important progress has apparently been made following
the collapse of the Taliban in 2001. We can only trust
that with the help of the world community this will
continue and that corruption will not be allowed to
destroy the good that's being done.

david..its nice to hear
a personalised account..[that is positive]
but you must know..that we are wary of spin at these times

gdp is not a measure of happyness
and education that imprisons the mind..rather than setting it free
thats mind control

how do you measure the freedom to move
or freely assosiate with others
or live without fear
speak fearlessly

we are unsure what the ngo's are building
lets face it a gdp based on security workings
dosnt bode well..when the 'peacemakers' go back home
[and the looter's..[cor[perations]..go in to loot the 3 trillion of resources..locked up in other peoples land's..earned by over paid foreigners flying in/out..with their wages and bonus]

its fine to say you will grow wheat/fruit or veg..[not drugs]
but in the end they simply cant get to market

its ok to bring in big machines to plunder the minerals
polute the waters..then go off home when the land has been raped
leaving the people again only with guns and misery and a falling gdp

anyhow if..you are a canadian
you know how important getting a fair share/fair shake can be

so lets talk
we are listening

Welcome David, yes I under stand your post, hope you are not just a one subject poster.
You tell us in your post of the sun beams and the hope.
We understand too my Friend the deaths, on all sides, the miss understandings and miss trust based on religion.
Of our Aussies who never made it home.
I understand your reasoning, but the places history, its inability over century's to find its own peace.
I do not understand OUG your claims of pillage and rape, theft of minerals and did you say oil.
On what evidence?
From what mine/oilfield?
Are you aware the massive costs are more than anything, money, can replace.
In lives and deaths, in sneaking gutless middle ages type murder.
Do you OUG hold hope that other than trying to introduce freedom to learn to live to hear the rest of the worlds thoughts can save this country?

yes..i fear david...will be
a one/of..poster

regretfully

anyhow belly
you asked..""your claims..of pillage..and rape,""

mate war..is hell
usa/briton/france ussr..[etc]
are war ecomomies..they 'work'..to build wepons..of destruction

pliiage and rape..[and murder and mayhem]
are the fruits of war...

civil deaths..is the biggest
[growing feature...of war]..
i had posted..the numbers for it..at one stage

showing at every war..since ww1
civilian deaths..*have increased

so much so that in iraq...they number
in excess of 1..million
officially..they recognise over 100.000

think of the last brief..incursion by israel
that killed over 1000..[over 400 were kids]

""theft of minerals"'
the last number putting a value
on its mineral wealth alone..was 3 trillion

but think what globally
the drugs alone..are worth..!

and the ability by cia now
to export them direct..via rendition flights

""and did you say oil.""

no i didnt hear..or say anything about oil
but there is something..about needing a pipeline
to pipe oil

""On what evidence?""

heck mate
i used to put up links as i found them
they are there somewhere on the topics..as i found them

""From what mine/oilfield?""

new ones mate
think this war zone..hasnt been explored yet

its clean ground...in time they will go in
and do what multinationals do..[like we seen in many other places]..easy money..once you got the govt..*you chose in power

""Are you aware the massive costs"'..of war?
.."are more than anything, money,..can replace.""

i am
i also know that those with money..LOVE govt money

""In lives and deaths,
in sneaking gutless middle ages type murder."'

i agree

we spend hundreds of thousands saving lives with overpriced medical 'services'..to those we care for..'our own'

but everyone else
just throw bombs at em

""Do you OUG hold hope
that other than trying to introduce freedom
to learn to live..to hear the rest of the worlds thoughts..can save this country?""

mate you cant free someone
who in their heart...*is a slave
till THEY chose freedom..they retain ignorance
[ignorance..*that NEEDS others..to tell them what to think/do]

we are bribing them..!
once the bribes stop
'progress stops'..

and the money/grubbers
move on..to their next colonisation..[war]..

in mid-east or africa..tibet or mongolia

Thanks to all who responded. As a Canadian I have always felt a cultural bond with Australians. I work with many Australians here at the NATO Training Mission here in Kabul.

I do not want to paint the picture here as all rosy. There is a long way to go but since NTM-A was stood up in 2009 there has been ongoing measurable progress.

We are in a time of transition. Not one major transition, but thousands of smaller transitions on a daily basis.

We are working to replace much of the devastate infrastructure. Roads are built, water treatment facilities constructed, power plants online. The Afghans themselves are taking ownership of their own institutions. They are working to develop their own self sustaining systems. I see trainers stepping back and Afghans taking over. It just may not be dramatic news footage.

In July in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, after a month of drilling, contractors found clean, cool and fresh water 250 meters below the surface in southern Afghanistan’s Uruzgan Province. Across the country this continues.

Literacy has also become a fundamental part of this new mission. NTM-A launched an aggressive campaign to dramatically change literacy training for Afghan security personnel. As of 12 August 2011 there are 87,400 Afghan soldiers and police enrolled in literacy class. Recently the 100,000 graduate of literacy training received his certificate

Supporting gender integration is a vital part of this mission. Both the international community and the Afghan Government have identified the importance of the inclusion of women. The goal is “gender equality” where women and men can fully enjoy their rights, starting ...with the Afghan Government.

As I say, I am not blind to the problems and issues. They are real. You can understand how frustrating it can be. I see such hope and progress every single day. Yes, there are potholes in the road, but hey, there IS a road.

Belly

I do understand your concerns. I hope I do not come across as posting only sun beams and hopes. I do feel some responsibility to counteract the doom and gloom reporting that seems to dominate the media. This is because I do, in fact, see some sun beams shining through the dark clouds.

I feel for your concerns. Trust me when I say that I have my own personal struggles. Every day I walk past the flag poles of 35 nations here on Camp Eggers. Far too often there is a flag or two at half mast. Of all the emotions which bombard me when I see those flags, it is renewed dedication which is foremost. A dedication to make those sacrifices count.

I do believe that the massive costs are worth it. I fear that the costs of doing nothing would eventually be greater. The culture is changing. Social media is a contributing factor. With millions of internet accounts and over a quarter million young Afghanis on facebook, it is difficult for anywhere to stay in the dark ages. It is this generation which will decide what they want and where in the world they want their country to belong. Let’s not discount their contribution to change.

Dear David,

Your optimism is to be commended.

We're hearing on the news about assassinations,
and another bomb going off in Kabul.

Take care in this difficult and challenging time.

There may be "at least a road," as you put it,
but the challenges are huge and exploding bombs
certainly don't help.

Yes,
discouraging, but can't let them win.

I think the encouraging thing is (as seems to be my reoccuring theme) that the Afghans are taking charge.
As per the attacks here last week, we were encouraged.

It was an Afghan police Lieutenant Colonel that TIME consulted as a spokesperson.

It was Afghan military Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunships that flew in to support a rapid-reaction force.

It was Afghan police and Afghan soldiers who locked down the long road leading to the siege site and allowed fleeing civilians and wounded security personnel through.

It was an Afghan soldier at an Afghan army checkpoint that stood his ground and wouldn’t let an armed man enter.

It was an Afghan policeman who shot and killed a suicide bomber before he could detonate.

And it was an Afghan counterterrorism unit along with NATO special forces that cleared the high-rise where the remaining militants had holed up.

This is great news in the middle of bad news.

Lets take encouragement that these brave and dedicated men will grow stronger. That the Afghan National Security Force will stand strong.
They did the job that day. Lots of second guessing might occur but lets realize the progress that this showcased.

Well done Afghan National Security Force.

Mate your post does you credit, it is clear to me now you are honest, and one to be honored.
I value such as you, if younger would want work like yours.
My early fear is now gone.
My hope, controlled by the reality's you live with daily is for a better future for that country and its people.
I know just a few years ago crowds gathered to watch murders in sporting grounds women lived as second class.
No progress without pain I thank you

Dear David,

I read somewhere that:

"Nothing in the world can take the place
of persistence. Talent will not:
nothing is more common than unsuccessful people
with talent. Genius will not;
unrewarded Genius is almost a proverb. Education will not;
the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination are omnipotent.
The slogan "Press On" has solved and always will solve
the problems of the human race."

The Afghans deserve support.

This thread, coming from the country and some one who is trying to fix things should be well used.
It highlights a human nature we must not ignore.
Within all the bad, the dreadfully bad,there lives hope.
We all of us, base our views on different ideas and thoughts.
But if only humanity, all of it, could focus on positives.
I ask too much.
One day,surely we understand?
We may have imposed on us one culture one set of rules, a threat?
Very much so for those who live in those days but a century after? maybe one day men will not have to kill each other.

Dear Belly,

You are right.

For millenia, people have hoped for peace in their
time. Today, as usual, there is no shortage of
grand proposals for peace - such as new defensive
devices, or the acceptance of one religion or
another, or the establishment of a world government,
or even the reform of so-called human nature.

Yet arms races and wars continue as before, sometimes
creating the discouraging idea that hopes for peace
are too "idealistic." And indeed, we are likely to
be disappointed if we expect dramatic results in
the form of an immediate end to war and militarism.

The prospects for peace look much more encouraging,
however, once we recognize that war and peace are
really opposite ends of a continuum and that
movement along this continuum, in either direction, is
the result of social processes that develop and change
over time under the influence of government policies
and popular pressures.

Sorry David Lewis but you’re not facing reality.

A REALITY CHECK FROM THE ASIA TIMES:

>>Afghanistan's economy could face a sharp shock after international troops withdraw in 2014, removing the one factor that provided investors and businesses with a measure of confidence…

…Afghanistan still lacks a stable economic infrastructure and suffers from massive institutional corruption, which means that much of the tens of billions of US dollars that have flowed into the country has been squandered.

[…]

HAKJO SAYS 60% OF AFGHANISTAN'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) IS IN SOME WAY LINKED TO THE FOREIGN TROOP PRESENCE.>>

(Capitalisation added)

See:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/MH25Df04.html

Afghanistan is a basket case being propped up by a massive and unsustainable Western military presence.

Afghanistan is also a victim of the battle between India and Pakistan.

See:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/23/eveningnews/main20110965.shtml


(Watch the video)

>>The Pakistani spy agency uses the Haqqanis to sow violence so Afghanistan cannot emerge as a strong and stable country allied with Pakistan's arch enemy India.>>

Australia should high tail it out of Afghanistan as soon as we can. Afghanistan is a tragedy but there’s nothing we can do about it. In the end it is none of our business.

And we definitely should not be sacrificing the lives of Australian soldiers in a HOPELESS cause.

And the Canadians should also leave - for the same reason.

It is not within the power of any Western country, or alliance of Western countries, to avert or even ameliorate the tragedy that is Afghanistan.

That is reality.

Steven I have come to see you are right.
From a warrior class, unafraid to admit it, I believe we do great things there.
That one day true full war will be our only way there.
But the thing that is PAKISTAN, its hate lies and deception is going to one day take much more than ground troops to fix.
Lexi how very sad, humanity divided by? differences, a early need to defend its self from,, them, has sunken in.
I do honestly think, our inability to control world population, starvation,financial matters, wars, is driving us to, like it or not be ruled as one.
By the passing of 2 or 3 generations we will forget the things that divide us.

Belly,

Just to be clear.

I am not a pacifist. There are things worth fighting for.

My admiration for our troops in Afghanistan is boundless.

If I had a child who had died in Afghanistan I would hate it if some “know it all” told me it was all for nothing.

Which I’m afraid is exactly what I am saying.

But it is what it is.

There is nothing useful we can do in Afghanistan. 29 diggers have already died. Many more have been wounded. It is not reasonable of us to ask brave young men and women to risk their lives for no good reason.

Afghanistan was a s*it hole before Australian troops arrived and it will be s*hit hole long after we’re gone and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Dear Steven,

I'm not sure that I agree with your summation.
As David points out - perhaps things are not
happening as quickly in Afghanistan as we in the
West would like - and the costs in human lives
are huge. However, improvements are happening.
Should we keep pursuing them or simply
leave the Afghans to their own devices?
I don't know the answer to that question.
Can we really turn
our backs on them now - and tell all those who
died that it was all for nothing?

Not sure I could do that.

I again thank David, understand things are better.
And I honor our dead.
Steven is not far wrong.
Every step we take forward Pakistan's action force us to retreat.
A war will come open hot and total.
No matter what our actions.
Free loading members of the world community, ever willing to hold hands out for a handout are not helping ,they should.
While a war, against militant Islam is inevitable, we would be better fighting in the country bringing this pain Pakistan.