You need to know this about Afghanistan. The old joke used to be that we couldn't bomb the country into the stone age, because most of it is already there. It's one of the poorest countries in the world, only about a quarter of Afghans can read or write, and there's no national radio or TV infrastructure - large parts of the country don't even have electricity. So when 9/11 happened here, nobody told the Afghans. According to a new report on the Afghan population, 92% of Afghans today don't know what 9/11 was. They have no idea why we're there, and 40% of Afghan adults think we're occupying their country simply to destroy Islam. This, after nearly 10 years of occupying the country. Still - military commanders and President Obama aren't getting the message, as it looks like US engagement in the country will continue beyond 2014. How are we supposed to be successful when most Afghans don't know why we're there? On top of that - how are we supposed to change hearts and minds - when the same prisoner abuses, illegal rendition practices, and unlawful drone strikes are rubber-stamped instead of investigated by an Obama administration. It's time to go.
-Thom
(When do you think American forces should leave Afghanistan? Tell us here.)
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