A U.S.- Afghan Cultural Disconnect

U.S. Army soldiers descend a mountaintop in the Paktya province while surveying a site for an observation post near the Enzarkay Pass, Afghanistan, March 2, 2012. The soldiers are paratroopers assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Gold Geronimo. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Epperson

In Reactions To Two Incidents, A U.S.-Afghan Disconnect -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — The mullah was astounded and a little angered to be asked why the accidental burning of Korans last month could provoke violence nationwide, while an intentional mass murder that included nine children last Sunday did not.

“How can you compare the dishonoring of the Holy Koran with the martyrdom of innocent civilians?” said an incredulous Mullah Khaliq Dad, a member of the council of religious leaders who investigated the Koran burnings. “The whole goal of our life is religion.”

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My Comment: When you read stories like this one .... that is when it hits you that life and culture is very different in a society that has been untouched by technology (with the exception of the tools of war) and outside cultural influences since the beginning of time. I do not recall the commentator's name, but he made a description of Afghanistan that has stood with me for a very long time .... Afghanistan is made up of a people who live in an environment and society that would easily fit into a society around biblical times .... the only exception will be the weapons, radios, and cell phones that the Afghans always carry.

This Is One Of The Reasons Why We Will Still Be In Afghanistan After 2014

NATO MEETING - U.S. President Barack Obama, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of International Security Assistance Forces and NATO Troops in Afghanistan, meet at the NATO Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, Nov. 20, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Treadwell

Afghan Police Corruption 'Hits Nato Pullout' -- The Independent

Britain and the US at odds over 2014 deadline for withdrawal, as experts condemn local forces' brutality and lack of training.

Afghanistan's security forces are crippled by corruption, poor training and high attrition rates, senior British and US officials have revealed, casting doubt on the West's plan to leave the country within five years.

As Nato leaders rubber-stamped a strategy to transfer leadership for the fight against the Taliban to Afghan forces by the end of 2014, Western experts have complained that the vast majority of Afghanistan's police are untrained and do not even know the law.

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My Comment: Afghanistan has a history spanning hundreds of years of tribalism, warfare, corruption, invasion, more corruption .... etc. etc. etc. .... they are not going to change in the next few years.

Why We Are Going To Be In Afghanistan For A Long Time

From Kings Of War:

An excellent illustration of how providing alternative livelihoods for Afghan poppy-growing farmers is stymied not just by the Taliban, but by government corruption and weak institutions: a group of foreign and local businessmen – including noted Afghan expert Barnett Rubin – have been frustrated in their efforts to launch a small-scale perfume industry in eastern Afghanistan.

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My Comment: The culture of Afghanistan is so back in the middle ages, but with heroin and modern weaponry being the currencies of choice. To successfully change this culture in the next generation or two .... I must admit that I am skeptical.