Outline of Afghanistan Positions

Position 1:

Trudy Rubin wrote an article presenting the political views of the counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen, who believes that American troops must remain in Afghanistan and prevent further parts of the country from falling under the control of the Taliban.

a. He thinks the US needs to address the issues concerning Pakistan's tribal areas, which are threatening the Pakistan government and providing shelter for the Taliban and Al-Quaida. 

b. He believes troops are essential in Afghanistan, and the development of a sound counterinsurgency strategy is necessary.

c. He strongly believes that there is no military solution to Afghanistan, and that the only rel solution is to "Protect, Build, and ultimately Hand-off to the Afghans."

Position 2: 

Michael A. Cohen and Parag Khanna wrote an article in Foreign Policy expressing their desire to see the US shift most of the military effort to Pakistan instead of Afghanistan.

a. They believe that the Taliban is too unpopular in Afghanistan to have a chance of taking back the country.

b. They think the U.S. has too many troops in a country where the enemy is across the border.

c. They think the U.S. should spend more time strengthening Pakistans government and armed forces.

Position 3:

Tariq Ali wrote an article, "Mirage of the Good War", placing more emphasis on regional negotiations rather than military solutions.

a. Ali believes that the U.S. should not be stabilizing force in Afghanistan but should withdraw advocating a peace initiative by countries of the region.

b. He attributes the rise of the Taliban to discontent with the actions of the U.S. and NATO armed forces, along with resentment to the corrupt Afghan government.

c. He believes that the solution is solely political, not military, and that the US should withdraw their military forces from Afghanistan and follow up with a regional pact to commit to a decade of stability for Afghanistan. He urges "a serious social and economic plan to rebuild the country and provide the basic necessities for its people."

Position 4

George Will wrote an article for the Washington Post that strongly advocates the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan.

a. He clearly states that the aspirations the US has for Afghanistan are unattainable, and its forces should be notably reduced.

b. He acknowledges that "in order to protect the population Afghanistan would need hundreds of thousands of troops for at least a decade, perhaps more, and that is inconceivable."

c. He strongly believes that the forces in Afghanistan should be primarily based offshore, doing only what can be done using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, air strikes and small, potent Special Forces.

Children of the Taliban

1) Why do children join the Taliban? Give specific examples.

Children join the Taliban out of fear. The Taliban frequently threatens or even harms the families of children in Afghanistan/Pakistan, and as the children observe this destruction they feel as though it would be safer to become part of the Taliban to save their families. They also join due to religious reasons. The Taliban closes schools and open Madrassas, where children are taught to recite the Quran and learn all about Islam. They are taught to die for a cause--thus putting the idea in their head that joining the Taliban will guarantee them a place in heaven.

2) How has the war in Pakistan impacted children?

During the war, the Taliban have been destroying schools and converting them into operation bases--leaving thousands of children with no education and no real choice but to join the Taliban. Children as young as 6 years old are being taught how to detonate bombs, operate guns and carry out suicide bombings. The war is corrupting children and putting them in the mindset that they have an obligation to join the Taliban.

3) Has the military offensive by Pakistani army/US military drones been effective? Give specific examples.

They have been somewhat effect in a negative way. This is because the American attacks have angered the Taliban to the extent that they have increased their resolve to fight. This poses the recurrent issue the American forces face in Afghanistan: how can you defeat someone who thinks they are going to heaven for what they're doing? 

4) How and why does the Taliban continue to grow?

Thousands of male children, and probably older men, are joining the Taliban (women are not welcome). It is likely that this is due to martyrdom. Martyrdom is dying for a cause, or justifying death in a profound way. The way the see it is that fighting for your faith (fighting for Islam) is guaranteeing a spot in heaven.

Afghanistan Issues: "War Briefing" and Obamas Plan

Problems The US / NATO Forces Face Concerning Afghanistan

1) One problem the US/NATO forces face in Afghanistan is the relatively unknown enemy. They are fighting against a massive group of extremists who believe that it is their purpose to die for a "cause", meaning they will willingly sacrifice their life because they feel it will bring them good after they die. The Taliban does not have a uniform, or a specific base. They blend in with civilians, making it challenging for the US to target them. Also, they convince the Afghan people that to join them is to do the right thing for religious purposes. Thus, posing one of the most difficult issues the US has to deal with--how can you defeat someone who thinks they are going to heaven for what they're doing? 

2) Another issue faced is the inadequate amount of troops and resources. Due to the lack of troops currently in Afghanistan, the US cannot fulfill the goal that they have--to end the corruption the Taliban is causing in the country. The troops have no choice but to operate from small, isolated bases with little air support because of lack of resources. This makes it really difficult to manage larger areas, especially in the mountainous region of Afghanistan.

3) Another major problem: the limitations of the US army. Since they are not permitted to cross the border into Pakistan, they are incapable of going after the Taliban under the circumstances that they run over the border. This is a huge issue, because if the American forces do anything to scare the Taliban, their first reaction will be to flee to Pakistan, regroup, retaliate, and the American troops will not be capable of following.

4) The last problem is corruption in the Afghanistan government. Due to the initial flaws in Afghanistan's government, it would be challenging to convince the people of the country to give the government the support it needs. The American forces have no way of ensuring a stable government once they leave, thus causing them to stay even longer. 

Obamas Plan

1) The basics of Obamas plans concerning Afghanistan are as follows: 30-35,000 additional troops will be sent to Afghanistan as rapidly as possible--beginning shortly after Christmas. Upon arrival, those troops will be targeting insurgencies and securing key population centers. They will begin to withdraw the troops after 18 months (around June 2011). The main goal for the troops is to train the Afghans to have a secure army in themselves, and have the ability to defend themselves against the Taliban. This is so that the American forces can leave without the concern that the country will fall apart. There is also going to be an increasing amount of pressure on Pakistan to handle not only the al-Quaida but the Taliban threatening their country.

2) In my opinion, this is the best plan that could've possibly been laid out considering the circumstances. My only concern is that this is not a war that can ever really be won, and could potentially go on for quite some time because of the state Afghanistan is in--multiple aspects of it. However, I think it was good that Obama did not simply pull the troops out now, because that would likely have led to the rapid downfall of Afghanistan. I also think it was good that Obama made it clear that we needed to transfer the control of Afghanistan to the Afghanistan government. As he said, "We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan's security forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government and, more importantly, to the Afghan people that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country."

So, I took the spirituality quiz and got a 39, which states that I am a "spiritual dabbler" meaning that I am open to spiritual matters but I am far from impressed by them. I was impressed by this quiz, because I would say that is a pretty accurate statement regarding myself.

As for the belief-O-matic quiz, my top 5 results were as follows:

1.	Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2.	Liberal Quakers (96%)
3.	Neo-Pagan (89%)
4.	Secular Humanism (87%)
5.	Theravada Buddhism (85%)

My highest ranked eastern religion was Theravada Buddhism.

•	Belief in Deity The concept of a supreme Creator God is rejected or at least considered irrelevant to Theravada Buddhism. Buddha, "the Awakened One," is revered above all--not as "God" but as supreme sage, model of a fully enlightened person.
•	Incarnations Buddha was a human, a fully enlightened spiritual teacher and inspiration. As there is no belief in or relevant God, there are no incarnations of God worshipped.
•	Origin of Universe and Life Buddhists consider it the job of scientists to explain origins of the universe and life. There is no contradiction with scientific discovery, however many maintain that the world creates and recreates itself millions of times every fraction of a second.
•	After Death There is no transmigration of individual souls, but through the law of karma, one's wholesome or unwholesome intentions become imprinted in the mind. Negative mental states persist through continual rebirth until one's intentions become wholesome. Once fully enlightened, one is liberated from rebirths, reaching a state of absolute selflessness resulting in ultimate bliss called Nirvana--the "Deathless State." One becomes Buddha (or one with Buddha). Some Buddhists, especially modern Western, don't emphasize or believe in literal rebirth.
•	Why Evil? People have free will to commit wrongs or rights. Evil doings may result when egoism, cravings, attachments, and ignorance are expressed as greed, hatred, and violence, which, if unmitigated, is perpetuated through rebirth.
•	Salvation Enlightenment is an individual journey to Nirvana (complete bliss)--liberation from suffering and cycles of rebirth--acheived by following the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path. To eliminate karma, which causes rebirth, one must extinguish the belief in a separate self that give rise to cravings, desires, and attachments. The path to enlightenment includes loving-kindness and compassion, moral conduct, charity, wisdom, and meditation.
•	Undeserved Suffering Unenlightened life is suffering, and the cessation of this suffering is the primary goal of Buddhism--to reach Nirvana, to end cycles of rebirth. Suffering is a result of past-life greed, hatred, and ignorance, which return as suffering (karma), while compassion toward others who suffer reduces the effects of karma.
•	Contemporary Issues Abortion is considered murder, and all violent acts cause horrific karmic consequence. Homosexuality in itself is not specifically condemned by scripture, but opinions vary, especially among various Buddhist cultures--e.g., Buddhists in the United States are generally very accepting, while some Asian Buddhists are generally strongly opposed to homosexuality. It is believed that divorcewouldn't occur if one follows Buddhist precepts, but a couple is not condemned if they separate due to vast personal differences. In Theravada countries, gender roles are generally traditional (e.g. woman as child caretakers and men as providers), but less rigid as contemporary demands are made on women (e.g. working women).

My initial reaction to the results of these surveys was a little surprising at first, because they were not necessarily what I expected. Although, after reading a little more information about them they started to make more sense. The reason for this is because the results to both of these quizzes are pretty accurate, for the most part, aside from certain aspects of the top religions I was classified under. I have heard of a few of the beliefs given to me, but never really looked into any of them. There were a few questions on these surveys that made me think, mainly because they aren't questions I've ever really had to answer before, which made some difficult to initially decide on.

Theravada Buddhism is a religion in which the belief system involves a model of a fully enlightened person as opposed to a specific "god". The main goal is to become fully enlightened, reach Nirvana, and end the process of rebirth. There is a lot of focus on moral contact and meditation, because if you show greed and self-centeredness it will result in suffering, or karma.

I never knew this much about Theravada Buddhism, and although I find it very interesting and would love to study more about it, I'm not sure if I would ever consider practicing this religion. This leads me to question about the accuracy of this quiz, because I don't think this specific religion fits my worldview.

Cultural Bias, Pre-conceived Notions.

I feel that it is very important to study Asian history, because although we were all born in a certain country, not only did the history of other countries in the world involve our country at some point, but I feel that it is very important to know about the history of the world around us. Being a student at an international school, I know that I plan on traveling a lot when I'm graduated, and knowing more about where I am will not only be helpful, but it will also be a good personal attribute.

When studying about other cultures and religions, I feel that it is important to keep an open mind and not form any assumptions about that culture/religion. This open-mindedness will keep you focused not on what you already think you know, but will keep you focused on learning and accepting other cultures. Asia is a very large continent with much diversity and history, and it is vital to know the basic history on this incredible part of the world.

So I took the asian history test online... and got a 67.5%. Turns out I don't know Asia as well as I thought I did.