America-Afghanistan Relations While it Might Seem Counter-Intuitive

America-Afghanistan Relations

While it might seem counter-intuitive to the average American, it would be beneficial to the United States to remain allies with Afghanistan. The most passionate argument against this opinion is generally one which recounts the events of September 11th, and which argues that given the pure evil that was waged on U.S. soil and the lives that were lost, not to mention the sense of safety and security that was forever damaged, no possible alliance could ever be possible between the U.S. And Afghanistan. Such an opinion does have its validity in some perspectives, but more than anything, such a perspective fails to keep in mind that it was not the nation of Afghanistan which condoned such savage attacks on the U.S.; it was renegade forces within this country known as the Taliban. A brief history of Afghanistan is useful at this point.

Afghanistan is a country the size of Texas which is made up of around 250,000 square miles; it is a landlocked country, resting between countries like Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan (Harvey, 2003). This position, as some call being at the "crossroads of Asia" has made Afghanistan vulnerable to invasion and occupation throughout the years (Harvey, 2003). For example, the British invaded and occupied Afghanistan for almost 100 years, being forced out in 1919.

Nearly 60 years later, the second phase of occupation occurred for the country in 1979-1988. This was when "the Communist Soviet Union which, in the Cold War climate of the times, sought to wield its influence over the country. During these years, the United States engaged in a proxy war against the Soviet Union, its long-standing Cold War opponent. It was to become one of the bloodiest and most destructive wars ever fought; it would leave Afghanistan completely devastated" (Harvey, 2003). Another consequence of this invasion was what it left behind: legions of well-trained Islamic radicals, a network of terrorists and bales of Anti-American sentiments (Harvey, 2003). As Harvey aptly points out, when the U.S. occupied Iraq after the events of 9/11, it marked the third time that the country had experienced such occupation (2003).

Demographics of Afghanistan

The country is the 49th largest country in the world with the fortieth most populated amount of people (Breede, 2008). The climate of the country is intense and harsh: the summers are extremely hot and the winters are extremely cold and there's snowfall in the mountainous regions (Breede, 2008). Around 28 million people live in Afghanistan, and the nation is populated with a range of different languages: 42% speak Pushtu (often in the east and south) the Tadjiks in the noth and south speak Dari; the remaining parts of the population are Hazaras (of Mongol descent), the Turkmen, the Uzbecks, and the Nuristans (Harvey, 2003). Afghanistan has low rates of literacy, which is not a surprise for a nation which has such a large mix of languages and which is mostly agrarian based (Breese, 2008). The country weighs a tremendous amount based on tribal distinctions and classes and Islam is still the dominant religion of which 99% of the people follow. The family is still seen as a crucial institution in Afghanistan, perhaps one of the most vital. "Afghanistan people have strong values, beliefs and rules surrounding the family and its member's behavior. Additionally families are highly dependent upon one another to meet many aspects of everyday life. Family roles are complex and they change depending upon ethnicity and region" (Merrill et al., 2006). As one of the most important institutions still present in the nation, gender roles are still very entrenched, with women looking after children and doing housework.

Reasons for Alliance between U.S. And Afghanistan

It is in the best interest for America's sense of safety and to establish congenial relations with the Middle East in general to foster an alliance and partnership with Afghanistan. For Afghanistan, the U.S. presence in their country helps in some nature to establish some level of stability in their country: "The United States has adopted the mission of 'global security provider,' according to the most recent Defense Department quadrennial strategy statement. This is a self-nominated role as custodian of a (prospective) global order based on American democracy and capitalism" (Pfaff, 2012). Of course, some might argue that the absolute opposite is true -- that the U.S. presence sparks terrorist activity and that the U.S. has been completely ineffective at stopping the insurrection of the Taliban (Pfaff, 2012). Regardless, creating a strong alliance between the two countries is vital: they need a peaceful rapport to contribute to one another's sense of stability.

In fact, in summer of 2012, the U.S. declared Afghanistan a completely major, largely significant, non-NATO ally: "The move, announced as Mrs. Clinton stood with President Hamid Karzai... was part of a broad strategic partnership deal signed by the United States and Afghanistan in May, she said. 'Please know that the United States will be your friend,' she told Mr. Karzai. "We are not even imagining abandoning Afghanistan. Quite the opposite. We are building a partnership with Afghanistan that will endure far into the future" (Rosenberg & Bowley, 2012). The entire point of this partnership is so that both countries can benefit from it.