Why the U.S. Needs to Rebuild Afghanistan to Win the War Against Terrorism
Alex Alviar
Issue date: 12/3/01 Section: Opinions
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The United States has a responsibility to rebuild Afghanistan, not out of charity or moral obligation, but out of self-preservation. It is deceptive to think that because the U.S. assault on Afghanistan has helped break the back of the Taliban and dilute the power base of Al Qaeda, this battle on terrorism has been largely won and that our nation can return to a state of relative “normalcy” and security. The reality is that we have managed to diminish the power of those who led the attacks on September 11, but we have done nothing to prevent a new generation of terrorists from committing the atrocities of tomorrow.
It is tempting to discount the attacks of September 11 as the work of a few demented madmen, but to do so ignores the fact that others who are willing to follow in the footsteps of Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants may rise from the ashes of Afghanistan. They will not be alone. Millions of people across the Middle East and in many developing nations share a deep antagonism towards what they perceive to be American imperialism, arrogance, and abuse of power around the world. Hatred is never justified by any means, but we cannot ignore the fact that its widespread prominence is no accident. If the United States does not work aggressively to change the source of this anger, we may someday look back on the twin towers as a mild warning of things to come.
The real war on terrorism does not end with the military campaign; rather, it begins with the end of it. Afghanistan now stands at the crossroads. Its physical infrastructure has been demolished by years of war, its fields barren from years of drought, its people emotionally battered from years of turbulence, and its society devoid of civil institutions. It has an opportunity to change all of that, and to embrace a society built on tolerance, hope, and egalitarianism, but it cannot do so on its own. Without logistical support and investment (a lot of it) from the United States and other nations that share an interest in world peace, Afghanistan will remain a torn society. The fact that the United States may be caricatured to future Afghans as the nation that bombed it and abandoned it will only worsen the divide.
It is tempting to discount the attacks of September 11 as the work of a few demented madmen, but to do so ignores the fact that others who are willing to follow in the footsteps of Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants may rise from the ashes of Afghanistan. They will not be alone. Millions of people across the Middle East and in many developing nations share a deep antagonism towards what they perceive to be American imperialism, arrogance, and abuse of power around the world. Hatred is never justified by any means, but we cannot ignore the fact that its widespread prominence is no accident. If the United States does not work aggressively to change the source of this anger, we may someday look back on the twin towers as a mild warning of things to come.
The real war on terrorism does not end with the military campaign; rather, it begins with the end of it. Afghanistan now stands at the crossroads. Its physical infrastructure has been demolished by years of war, its fields barren from years of drought, its people emotionally battered from years of turbulence, and its society devoid of civil institutions. It has an opportunity to change all of that, and to embrace a society built on tolerance, hope, and egalitarianism, but it cannot do so on its own. Without logistical support and investment (a lot of it) from the United States and other nations that share an interest in world peace, Afghanistan will remain a torn society. The fact that the United States may be caricatured to future Afghans as the nation that bombed it and abandoned it will only worsen the divide.