It's time

It is time for Afghanistan to stand on its own, but my goodness, the rocky road they face ahead was foreseen, but the end of the Afghan government came to a screeching halt so fast, do dramatically, and so sadly.

Yesterday, President Biden forcefully made the case for our departure. I agree with him. We spent two decade trying to prop up a government that lacked the convictions to stand for itself. 

I am conflicted. Angry, Sad. Worried. Scared.

Pray for the women. Pray for the girls. They have known some semblance of freedom for the past 20 years. Their police force and army have thrown them under the bus.

I served in Kabul for 15 months. I loved the people. 

We trained their Army and their Police. We equipped them. We befriended them and still they just did not seem able to take that final leap to fend for themselves. So, as their government collapsed on Sunday, those of us who served there are scratching our heads in disbelief, dismay with tears and reticence.

Any of us who served there knew this would be the end result but hope to be proven wrong.

The Afghans are a proud, beautiful people. But I believe they are not united enough to act as a nation but instead a group of disjointed tribes which has made it easy for the Taliban to once again take control. 

One thing is certain, they deserve better.

Pray for Afghanistan. 

Pulling the rug?

Right now, I am thinking of a woman who I interviewed when I was stationed in Afghanistan. She was a Major in the Afghan National Army and by trade, she was a pharmacist. While I was interviewing her she thanked me for being here and I told her I was only doing my job. And she corrected me by saying, “no, not you… your people, your Army.”

She continued by saying that when we came here and threw out the Taliban, she was given hope and she could return to her job instead of being forced to stay at home. You know the mentality, barefoot and pregnant. 

That is exactly what the Taliban expects of their women.

Women will not be educated. Young girls will not attend school. They will return to the past where young girls will be forced to marry anybody who the Taliban deems it. Women will have no voice, no say so. Forget about love. Forget about freedom. Forget about a future crafted by self-determination.

An outdated, archaic 10th century religious dogma will rule! A country led by a bunch of hate-filled, frightened men who think our future is 12 centuries in the past. 

The Major told me that by our presence there her daughters had a future.

Now, where is their future?

I am sad.

Futility?

The news from Afghanistan today is disheartening. As many of you know, I was stationed there in 2008-09. In the 20 years that we were there and we haven’t left yet, we trained them, we equipped them, and now it deeply saddens me to see their armed forces lay down their weapons and let the Taliban take over without a fight, without a whimper.

I mean, if they won’t even fight for themselves and their own country, why should we?

While I do believe it it’s way past time that we have left, I fear for the women and the young girls in that country. I fear for anyone who attempts to stand against the Taliban once they are back in power. If they do not capitulate, they will be treated harshly or killed.

And it saddens me more that we spent trillions of dollars, countless lives injured—both on our side and the Afghans, and countless deaths and more in the order of 3000+ of our troops died.

Was it all for nothing?