Unconquerable Land, and Unconquerable People.
Afghãnistãn has significant untapped oil and natural gas reserves as well as coal, copper, chromite, barites, lead, zinc, iron ore, uranium, gold, silver, precious and semiprecious stones. There is no shortage of water because of heavy snowfall during the winter. Excess water flows across to other states. The Afghãnistãn continental weather conditions average the highest temperature of 33° C (91 °F) and the lowest -7 °C °F). Most of Afghãnistãn’s terrain – the greatest weapon against foreign invaders – is abruptly steep with mountaintops peaking at enormous heights e.g., the Noshaq (or Nowshak) mountain (24,000 ft / 7,315 m); at the northeastern corner of the country in the 500-mile Hindu Kush mountain range, which extends from north-western Pakistan and expands southward into the eastern and central part of the country. The low-lying terrain scil., Kandahar, Helmand, Nimruz, Farah, and Heratare are at the south-west bordering on the Pakistan and Iran borders. Badghis, Faryab, Jowzjan, and Balkh are to the north on the Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan borders. Roads in Afghãnistãn are the most dangerous in the world. Bolivia’s North Yungas Road claims 300 (q.l.) fatalities per year, but the 40-mile long highway between Jalalabad and Kabul exceed Bolivia’s figure by far (The New York Times, 7 August, 2010). Minefields set for foreign troops, in the southern part of Afghãnistãn often kill or maim citizens. Afghãns control the roads that force the invading troops (with their supplies) to commute between the 180 outposts throughout the country; in A-1 Cobra, UH-1 Huey, and MH-47 Chinook helicopters. Troops are unlikely to be killed in a helicopter by ground fire, but rather because of the ruggedness of the terrain, and extreme weather conditions. For example, high temperature and altitudes at less density of air effect the performance of a helicopter. In al-ʿIrāq theatre there were 5% of deaths due to helicopters crashes (216 out of 4,348), and the Afghãnistãn theatre: 12% (101 of 866) Mark Thompson, Washington, ‘Time’ 27 October, 2009.
Conclusion.
Those in central power in Washington need to develop more mature and circumspect foreign policies that reflect the warm-hearted American mindset. It’s not a pragmatic foreign policy to claim immunity from the international law, particularly when there are allegations of ‘aggression’ and ‘violations of humanitarian law’ pending. Former President Bush’s enthusiastic rhetoric on “freedom”, “liberty”, and “democracy” (of which all other nation states must comply), is not in accordance with the increasing death toll, on both civilian and military personnel; in other sovereign states. This is an inequitable situation out of character with the American nation. Whatever infractions America has made and continues to do so through flawed decision-making, by those in central power, is quite apart from the people, their history and culture. The United States, by international standards, is a very young nation state, a mere 223-years of age qq.v.,only being formally recognized as the ‘United States of America’ ensuing from the Treaty of Paris in 1783; subsequent to severance, as a colony, from Britain in 1776. In its short history, the American nation – its people – have earned world-wide admiration for their warm-hearted generosity, amiableness, and remarkable achievements. Notwithstanding the moral ambiguity of the United States ensuing from dishonourable leadership by various administrations who were in central power, I believe that its democratic system of government, although far from perfect, particularly in matters concerning foreign affairs, is the best the world has ever seen. An aperçu of the United States, in my opinion, would not include its infractions solely, but rather in the greatness of its multifarious achievements; and positive contributions towards a better world.
POST SCRIPT.
Photograph above: by courtesy of Copyright © owners Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America.
On the 13 January 2009, President Bush presented the Presidential Medals of Freedom, to his “coalition of the willing”, the UK’s Tony Blair and Australia’s John Howard, for their participation in a deceitful exercise quite unrelated to “Freedom”. This was a disgraceful exercise that brought the Presidential Medal into disrepute, and insults the memories of such worthy recipients as Mother Theresa (White House ceremony 1985) et al.