WHEN "COLLATERAL DAMAGE" MAY
DECIDE THE CASE AND DIPLOMACY
BE TONE DEAF, IF NOT FUTILE

We aren't winning in Afghanistan, and no one
claims we are. When fighting a highly moti-
vated, well led insurgency, if you aren't win-
ning, you are losing. And if you are alienating
ever more of the population the longer you
stay, as we did in Vietnam, you know the re-
sult. Two things that alienate the people in
Afghanistan: 1) the widespread corruption
that reaches high into the Karzai government
that we put in power and support. And 2)
our over-reliance on air power due to a short-
age of ground troops results in too many cas-
ualties among non-combatants. Our smart
bombs go where they are sent, but they can't
tell wedding parties from raiding parties. When
they confuse the two and 17 of the wrong people
are killed, which has happened several times in
the past year, it causes great, lasting anger and
alienation. Counterinsurgency becomes ex-
tremely difficult if not impossible when that
keeps happening.

We are sending more troops, but more troops
need more supplies, which must come through
Pakistan. There are now one and a half million
Muslims. Increasing numbers of them are be-
ing swayed toward Islamism, which seeks to
have religious rule in all Muslim countries. That
trend is gaining in Pakistan.

Now, not all Islamists are violent or jihadis, but
that number too is growing. Their principal
grievances, besides the non-clergy dictatorships
in Muslim countries, and the secular governments
(like Pakistan) in others, are related to two toxic
(for Muslims) policies of the U. S.: 1) Our un-
critical backing (and huge financial support) for
Israel and everything it does to the Palestinians.
2) Our long-time and continuing backing for India
in its refusal to hold and abide by a free election
in Kashmir to determine whether it belongs to
India or Pakistan. The Muslim majority, of
course, wants to be part of Pakistan. There are
terrorist groups in Pakistan, some connected to
ISI, Pakistani Intel, who are regularly attacking
Indians. Such was apparently the situation in
the recent bombing of Mumbai. (Where a Jewish
center was also attacked, you'll recall.) The U. S.
is a great champion of democracy and self-deter-
mination unless it relates to Israel/Palestine or
India and Kashmir. Then we see no evil, hear no
evil, etc. We are deaf, dumb and blind. And mor-
ally out to sea! (Adrift, that is.)


BOTTOM LINE: "If the problems with Paki-
stan cannot be solved, the war in Afghanistan
cannot be won." (I'm quoting Fareed Zakaria
in the 2/9/09 Newsweek, emphasis mine.) He's
right, of course. And it's unlikely that anything
will be resolved with Pakistan until and unless
the Palestinians get justice and their own country,
and the Kashmir issue is settled equitably and
democratically. Diplomacy that ignores these
facts is tone deaf and in fact, as futile as our
efforts in Afghanistan without the all-out help
of Pakistan.

jgoodwin004@centurytel.net