Today's Exclusive Columns
Presidential Elections Special
The Iranian circus of presidential elections has officially opened. Less than a month away from the election day and already social media has witnessed several occasions of uproars caused by candidate...
Care To Ijithad?
Over the years, as a singer/songwriter/activist, and as a progressive Muslim woman, I am often confronted about the ugly injustices perpetuated in the name of Islam. The questioning, challenge and the...
A Response to Yair Shamir
I describe myself, in the byline of this column and elsewhere online in my social media profiles, etc., as a “hasbara buster.” Hasbara is a special kind of propaganda used by the government of Israel ...
Of Conspiracy Theories and Rumors
Two years ago, when I came across the reality show, Googoosh Academy of Music (http://www.youtube.com/channel/HCvRE80ccGy_E), I was immediately hooked. The Iranian icon of pop music Googoosh (http://e...
Mideast Arts & Culture
Making Fashion Saucy: UAE’s S*uce Boutique Helps Local Talent Shine
Dubai, a city known for its glamour, soaring skyscrapers and magnificent malls, plays host to over a thousand shopping tourists every month. The Middle East, in general, has a strong...
One of These Things is Actually Like the Others
What Past Great Performances Can Teach Us In Dealing with Present-Day Events Muslim-Americans. A 1950s American opera best described as “Shakespearean tragedy meets McCarthy-Era Tennessee.” The Boston Marathon. Before you begin...
Reflecting the Times: Fashion Fighting Famine 2013
Last month, fashion bloggers, designers, and “it” girls from all over the world graced the front row of the 6th annual Fashion Fighting Famine fashion show, held on March 31st...
Fashion ComPassion Making Style a Conscious Effort
If you’ve been to your local H M store recently, you would have noticed the promotions for EDUN (http://www.edun.com) founded by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson to sustain long-term...
Argo Reviews Reveal Generational Divide Amongst Iranians
Ben Affleck's 2012 political thriller "Argo," about the 1979-1981 Iran hostage crisis, reached the streets of Tehran, Iran via the black market soon after its theatrical release in the US....
Eye Level in Iraq: Bringing the Plight of Iraqi Civilians into Sharp Focus
Though most Americans have distanced themselves from any association with the Iraq War, March 19, 2013 marks the tenth anniversary of the United States-led invasion. Perhaps the occasion provides the...
NEWSDESK
US legacy in Afghanistan: What 11 years of war has accomplished
- Details
- Written by Content Manager
- Category: In Other News
This article, written by Scott Baldauf, appeared on The Christian Science Monitor on June 10,2012
It has become the longest war in US history – nearly 11 years. It has consumed $57 billion in American development aid. The US military has spent more than $517 billion trying to subdue and secure one of the most invaded countries in human history. What, in the end, has the United States achieved after all this time and treasury spent in Afghanistan?
It's a valid question to ask, especially in an election year. And it's a question that many Afghans themselves are asking in earnest, as the US considers withdrawing troops by 2014.
Answering this question is tricky. US military spokesmen point to the dismantling of Al Qaeda and the buildup of an Afghan National Army increasingly capable of protecting the country from its internal and external enemies. Aid donors point to increased political freedoms, improved economic opportunities, thousands of newly built girls' schools, and rising survival rates for newborn infants and their mothers.
READ MORE AT The Christian Science Monitor
*Photo Credit: The U.S. Army
AUDIO: Will Scandals Stall Obama's Agenda?
Support our Mission with a Financial Donation Today
Donate below! Why Support Us? Click Here
Join our Book Club!
205 membersFor those who have had good literature cross their paths, to share and share alike. Let's conver...
Newsletter: Stay Connected
We reserve the right to delete your comments and block your participation with continued abuse.