Messages From Afghan Citizens About The War (VIDEO)

While much of the debate about Afghanistan here in the States has been focused on how to adjust the U.S.'s war strategy, the latest video from the Rethink Afghanistan project takes a look at the other side of the equation by talking to Afghan citizens about their hopes for the future.

The general sentiment among the Afghans interviewed is that they want the fighting to end. "We wish there would be no more bloodshed in Afghanistan," says one of the men featured in the video.

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Comments

[bidin]

10:47 PM on 12/02/2009

So sad...

[MIKEinNYC]

09:22 AM on 12/02/2009

This video and the selected excerpts contained therein is not necessarily representative of how the Afghan people feel. If anything, the video represents the opinions of the makers of the video and the people depicted in the video..

My feeling: I WOULD NOT SACRIFICE THE LIFE OF ONE MORE AMERICAN KID FOR THE ENTIRE MISERABLE COUNTRY!

IT'S NOT OUR BUSINESS !

WE DO NOT POLICE THE WORLD !

[sizgorich]

05:20 PM on 12/02/2009

I don't think you disagree with most of the people in the video, actually.

[rakrobn]

06:12 PM on 12/02/2009

Whether you realize it or not, both the Afghans in the video and you are actually on the same page with respect to Afghanistan.

[Balzac]

05:20 AM on 12/02/2009

I would be nice if all the US and NATO military personnel could see this video. The people in this video are speaking with a great understanding of their own experience and choosing very strong and clear language. It is almost as if they are speaking to President Obama as a leader to whom they're looking to themselves.

It is a good idea to focus on "training" Afghan people rather than fighting them, but actually, the "training" must be cross-training. Afghans civilian advisors must "train" the US and NATO personnel in cultural literacy, even while the military personnel "train" them in how to arrange a stable political and security arrangement in preparation for the departure of foreign military personnel.

This training must not be for Afghans to battle other Afghans groups, but rather for each group to secure themselves physically and most importantly through communication and coordination. This bi-lateral cross-training must be a mutual endeavor for stability and lasting peace, not an arrangement where people are organized in conflict against each other.

[bilmardre]

03:53 AM on 12/02/2009

Why do I feel like If Obama had decided to pull the troops out we would be watching a video of Afghans asking why are we deserting them?

[mamacat]

05:40 AM on 12/02/2009

Good point. It feels like a no-win scenario.
Back when the Taliban were in power, I remember the news reports of the many thousands of Afghan refugees who were seeking shelter in other countries. Now we have kicked the Taliban out of Kabul, but at least 1/3rd of the Afghanis still like them. So how do we know what the right thing to do is, especially since the Taliban are not the ones who attacked us on 9/11, or before, or since?

[research]

07:20 PM on 12/02/2009

No matter what Obama or any democrats or liberal does, The conservatives will relentlessly smear them.

Get over it.

Obama is DLC "new Democrat" DINO bribed by the big money.

Face it.

Kucinich/Grayson 2012!

[ChrisHK]

12:27 AM on 12/02/2009

after the afghans were armed and trained by usa to fight against the ussr, they were abandoned, until there was need to use them again...talibans are crazy extremists, especially with women...thats for sure...but at least the opium production was prohibited...now with usa over there: usa is bankrupt, innocents dying, opium is back with its historical record production and women rights are still missing...their new constitution backed up by usa makes no difference to women rights...so why americans are there? to make what difference?......if you spend half of the money spent in making war to afghan ppl, but you spend it on rebuilding their country, then you have a bunch of happy afghans loving usa...or if you want usa to be safe, bring your tens of thousands of soldiers back to your frontiers, save billions of dollars in weapons and spend them to rebuild your economy, education, healthcare system, etc, spend the money in your people, and you all be happy and safe!!! and the world will be happy too!!

[austin4]

11:28 PM on 12/01/2009

The United States has been linked to Afghanistan since the late 70's. If more had been done after the U.S.S.R, left, we would not have to be there now.

[Nicholas Roy]

04:29 AM on 12/02/2009

Hindsight is 20/20. That doesn't help us now

[mamacat]

05:42 AM on 12/02/2009

And, if the commander on the ground had been allowed to destroy al Qaeda and OBL back at Tora Bora in 2001, we wouldn't have an excuse to be there now.

[SiDR]

10:26 PM on 12/01/2009

I get the feeling that what the afghan woman says at 1:22 are words that may haunt us all decades from now.

[Khirad]

10:16 PM on 12/01/2009

No matter how you feel, we don't see the faces or hear the voices of Afghani people nearly enough.

[pammiethekid]

10:38 PM on 12/01/2009

I love your post. Thank you.

[hama66]

08:29 PM on 12/02/2009

very true. which makes the american sentiment about how afghanis feel just that, a sentiment. judging by the name of the organization that pu tthis together i am going to hazard a guess that they are not entirely impartial. gallup needs to do a phone poll (sarcasm attached)

[PuffDragon]

08:51 PM on 12/01/2009

Magnoliabird - how can you suggest that Afghanis should be grateful for the US painting the hillsides with the blood of their children? That is the height of arrogance.

How ignorant to suggest that the people of that country have done nothing to help themselves. Can you seriously imagine that they have just been sitting on their hands for the past 50 years?

Questions:
How will war help rebuild the American economic? How will war bring back jobs to the US?
How will war make the US safe? How will war reduce the threat of terrorism around the world and at home?

Answer: It won't. Period.

[pammiethekid]

10:40 PM on 12/01/2009

Great post. I agree with you all the way up to "Answer." And then I would say; Answer: We don't know yet.

[magnoliabird]

12:03 PM on 12/02/2009

I beg to differ with you. Also, I am free to express my opinions whether you like it or not. We can differ on these opinions, but to call me ignorant for expressing my opinion shows just how silly you are. We can debate and still remain civil. No one ever said war will solve problems, but to do what we can to keep terrorists from wanting to harm us is paramount. The goal is to stabilize the country and help them rebuild and partner with us to stand against those wanting to harm us. What comes to mind is the women who are forced to be subservants or risk death.
This is how I see the efforts helping...freeing the oppressed. However, I do feel that they should quit calling us occupiers...we have no desire to take over their country. And I reflect back to a conversation my neighbors were having with a Pakastani family. Even this family believes we are occupiers and all we want is to rape women and take their country from them. Out of their own mouths they clearly stated they do not like Americans because they fill Americans want to rule the world and we think we are so much better than anyone else. So I asked them why in the hell are they in America then? Their answer made me flinch...They are here to make money and get as many businesses and live in peace.

[magnoliabird]

07:09 PM on 12/01/2009

The lady in the video says that they need to lean on someone else now. Well hell...this fighting has been going on seems like forever. What has your country been doing to help itself. The gentleman complaining that Americans can to help bring peace but instead dropping bombs and killing innocent people and children. Well to that man, all I can say is that is the price to try and bring stability. Do they not feel anything for the lost lives of our Americans over there trying to help them. This is what I call ungrateful. Leave them to fend for themselves. They will just talk about us later like the Iraqi people have been doing.

[veggiehead]

08:55 PM on 12/01/2009

But, didn't we bomb them and leave without any humanitarian "clean up" efforts under GWB. We left before the job was done to start in Iraq. We owe their people at least much deserved humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, it is looking like another Iraq.

[magnoliabird]

11:50 AM on 12/02/2009

No we did not bomb them and then leave them with no humanitarian clean up efforts. Get the facts straight. We spent millions on aid and rebuilding. Rebuilding that is still going on today.

You can say what you want, but I don't have another son to give to that Country. If I did, I still would not. Not for them to kill a human life in the way they did. Sorry if I do not hold to your belief but that is what makes this a great debate. No one is right and no one is wrong. I say what I say because I feel that in my heart and WILL NOT apologize. This war became the business of the U.S. when the crime of 9/11 happened. So tell your story to those families who lost loved ones for no reason.

[mixmaster g]

10:17 PM on 12/01/2009

why should he feel anything for soldiers who invade his country then get killed---they havent asked u.s. soldiers to come and make war there...