Soldier Refuses to go back to Afghanistan
07.11.2009
You can read Joe Glenton's letter to the Prime Minister here. He is not the only person to question the ongoing war in Afghanistan - many people across the political spectrum are beginning to ask what the rationale is for the war, and whether it can be won. As President Barak Obama decides whether to send more US troops to the region there is increasing debate about the central tactics. Given that many commentators believe that Al Quaeda has moved out of Afghanistan into neighbouring Pakistan. Can the tactic of building up the Afghan forces to deal with the Taliban work?
Meanwhile Amnesty International has reported on how the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate for the population there. The Taliban and other anti-government groups significantly expanded their attacks to cover more than a third of the country, including areas once considered relatively safe in the centre and the north. Increased military attacks between anti-government groups and US and NATO troops resulted in more than 2,000 civilian deaths.
Currently, Afghanistan is also one of the worst places in the world to be a woman - women's rights are nonexistent or in decline and the birthrate is high. Afghan women have an average of about seven children, and the population has been doubling about every 20 years. Today it is 34 million. Abortion is illegal with the only exceptions being to protect the life of the mother or for mental health reasons.
In most of the country, a woman needs her husband's permission just to leave her home. Domestic violence is endemic. Indeed, the government elected in 2004 passed, and President Hamid Karzai signed into law, legislation legalizing marital rape.
In spite of an estimate $18 billion spent on development aid, the conditions for Afghan people continue to deteriorate.
So what do you think? Do you think the war is necessary? Is it stopping attacks on Britain and other western targets, or is it increasing the fundementalism it sought to stop? We would love to hear your views on our forum.
If you are interested in the case of Joe Glenton, there is an online petition here, and you can even email him
here.