

Attackers at U.S.-Afghan Base Wore Coalition Uniforms (Jalalabad) - rdl
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/world/asia/taliban-bombers-attack-air-base-in-afghanistan.html

======
rdl
This is HN-relevant because Jalalabad hosted the "Jalalabad Guest House" which
had the MIT Fab Lab -- a project to let Afghans have access to Internet, a
makerbot, etc. I stayed there a few times (it also had a bar...), and it was
one of the very few bright points about the US occupation.

Jalalabad used to be safe enough to walk around without a weapon (although, in
local dress, but not seriously hidden), shop downtown, visit the local
hospital (we set up a wifi node on top of a water tower), etc.

Now, it's not. That's not really progress. The US should GTFO Afghanistan now.

~~~
lostlogin
I'm with you. God knows the place needs help (no pun intended), but what its
currently got isn't the help needs/wants. I don't pretend to have an answer,
but what it's got seems to me to be further alienating the country.

~~~
rdl
The NGOs (actually, mostly individuals, mostly religious people) who were in
Afghanistan from 1970s to 2001 did a lot of good. I met several -- really
amazing how they managed to survive and do good things.

If the military left, along with all the big NGOs, maybe something organic
would come about to help.

~~~
lostlogin
I'm guessing that Pakistan's influence once others have left is a bit of a
concern. Were you in Afghanistan?

~~~
rdl
Yeah; I was in Iraq and some other places 04-07, and Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.
2008-2010.

Pakistan's influence primarily is a concern to India. The US has essentially
no vital national interest in Afghanistan -- that ended as soon as AQ basing
ended, approximately early 2002 (although maybe late 2001).

It is a horrible backwater, and we should allow Afghans who are reasonable,
want to build a better life, etc. to emigrate to the US (and particularly now,
those who assisted us 2001-2012), but should get out otherwise.

About 10% of the total US spending makes its way to AQ and Taliban, due to
payments made for security and logistics to "militias". The central government
is potentially even more corrupt and opposed to US interests.

The only good thing to say about Iraq was that it was a good distraction from
the fundamental quagmire that is Afghanistan. The US could have gone into
Iraq, decapitated the regime, and quickly withdrawn, similar to Panama. We
chose to screw it up (assisted by Turkey, the "sometimes" NATO member...), but
it wasn't fundamentally as predoomed as Afghanistan.

~~~
lostlogin
And while Iraq wasn't as predoomed, it would likely have been more human-life-
efficient to have left it alone. Can I ask what your role was? US military?
I'm always fascinated hearing American service men and woman having opinions
similar to what I and those I know hold. The view we get from US dominated
media is the extreme right, bomb and be gone sensational type stuff. Even a
cursory reading of Afghan history gives a deep sense of the complexity of
occupying the place.

