Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan

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Ain't it great what the folks we back in the Middle East do? Well, no, it isn't. I just got this via femisting (I love their logo):

AFGHANISTAN'S notorious Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was set up by the Taliban to enforce bans on women doing anything from working to wearing nail varnish or laughing out loud, is to be recreated by the Government in Kabul.

The decision has provoked an outcry among women and human rights activists who fear a return to the days when religious police patrolled the streets, beating or arresting any woman who was not properly covered by a burka or accompanied by a male relative.

Wait a sec, I thought we invaded Afghanistan to depose the Taliban and install someone just slightly more reasonable. And I thought the Taliban resurgence there was coming from the Taliban (who operate out of Pakistan, our "stalwart ally"), but now it seems it's coming from Kabul, too.

Well, this is bad news for the women of Afghanistan, that's for sure. Maybe we should stick around someplace long enough to actually effect some positive change before we go blundering off somewhere else. Or maybe we should simply not invade other countries so easily.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What we have done with Afghanistan really drives me crazy. How many times did we hear about how time and again the superpowers have abandoned Afghanistan once they no longer needed them, and this time would be different?

Sure it's different. Until we have a sudden, burnging need to invade Iraq RIGHT FRICKING NOW. Good thing we're pouring so much energy into that project that Afghanistan can go back to its pre-war-on-terror state... because youknow otherwise we might, maybe accomplish something?
10:33 AM, July 25, 2006
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