David Botti
|
Apr 30, 2008 10:28 AM
Is it possible that, when all is said and done, the war in Afghanistan will become a "forgotten war"? An article in yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer
on U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan got me thinking about where that
war will end up in the history books--and I couldn't help but think of
the Korean War. My knowledge of that war comes primarily from my
father, an Air Force veteran who served during the conflict. Ever since
I could remember, whenever he talks about Korea he prefaces the
conversation lamenting the fact the Korean War receives much less
attention than WWII or Vietnam. Korea shows that even a modern war can
fade from collective memory.
It's clear that Iraq overshadows
Afghanistan in the public consciousness, but it seems as though over
the past few years the term "overshadows" has become somewhat of an
understatement. Here's the situation over there as told by the
Inquirer:
The U.S. military death toll will soon reach 500 in Afghanistan,
where the war has received less media attention than the conflict in
Iraq despite an increasingly violent insurgency, the resurgence of
al-Qaeda, and a growing commitment of troops...
...By the Pentagon's latest count, the armed forces have suffered 489
deaths so far. And still troops arrive: The number in Afghanistan
exceeds 34,000, with 7,500 additional men and women requested.
The U.S. troops are part of a 40-nation force expanded from 40,000
in fall 2006 to nearly 70,000 today. Last year was the deadliest since
2001, according to the United Nations, which reported 8,000 fatalities,
including 1,500 civilians.
As far back as 2004, Time Magazine published a cover story whose online component was titled: "Remember Afghanistan?" And then there was this New York Times 2005 editorial
titled: "Afghanistan's Forgotten War." Now, in 2008, we're still
wondering if Afghanistan is forgotten. But, why? Is it simply because
of less media coverage? Is it because of Iraq? Is it because people
don't care, don't understand, or don't have enough energy to follow two
U.S. wars at the same time?
Whatever the reason, the violence
still continues. Yesterday came word that U.S. Marines recently
deployed to Afghanistan, launched a major operation attacking a
Taliban-held town in the violent Helmand region. According to the Associated Press, this was the furthest south U.S. forces had operated in years:
The goal is to stretch NATO's presence into an area where illegal opium
poppy fields are plentiful and the Taliban is strong. British troops
man a small base on Garmser's northern edge but insurgents rule the
countryside south of the outpost all the way to the Pakistan border.
Also yesterday, Canada's Globe and Mail Newspaper published an opinion piece
by Brigadier General Dennis Tabbernor, deputy commanding general,
Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. The paper posed the
question: "Is Afghanistan Worth It?," and he answered in part:
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