President Barack Obama’s recent admission that the U.S. is not winning in Afghanistan is quite refreshing when compared to George W. Bush’s arrogant declaration of “mission accomplished” in Iraq in June 2003. Obama’s candor notwithstanding, the most important thing is that the U.S. should not lose in Afghanistan. Allowing Afghanistan to descend into chaos once again is akin to issuing al-Qaida an invitation to succeed. No one needs reminding that Afghanistan was the place where the 9/11 attacks on the United States were planned. It was also the country from where Usama Bin Laden declared his infamous “fatwa” of Jihad against the United States in 1998. So, a defeat of the lone uberpower in Afghanistan will be envisaged by the self-styled “Jihadists” as the beginning of the ultimate defeat of the “infidel in-chief.”
Tag: Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
“Hell” Must be Where Extremism Mushrooms
Looking at the tepid global reaction to the massacre of the civilians in Gaza, one wonders whether the conscience of the international community is half asleep or is suffering from something called sympathy fatigue. Hundreds of civilian casualties, incessantly escalating human misery, and with no end in the Israeli military action in sight, even God seems to have abandoned them. At the same time, it should be said unequivocally that Hamas’ indiscriminate firing of missiles on Israeli cities is a repulsive act. One U.N. official involved in rescue attempts stated that Gaza has turned into hell. That, alas, seems to be the fate of Muslims in many places.