Was a solution for Afghanistan ever intended?

When the coalition forces pushed the Taliban and al – Queda out of Afghanistan it became necessary to find a governmental solution for this country. The coalition for whatever reason decided to repeat the failures of past regimes and try to mold the country into their image. This has never worked in the past but they seemed to be stuck on that process so with no new vision were doomed to fail. The cost for this folly in human lives was at least 51,000 Afghans (both civilian and militant) and 3,500 security forces. The financial cost was TWO TRILLION US DOLLARS and all of this was a total waste of precious lives and monies, all due to a total lack of meaningful political will innovation and an inability to understand a different culture.

The coalition hoped to attract good soldiers to a new Afghan army but in Afghanistan good soldier stock is quickly sucked up by the Taliban or the Warlords who control the heroin and ephedrine-based economy. This leaves very few men of dedication to field the new army that is to defend the country. The Taliban are well aware of how this works in their country. An Afghan army formed like this was the least of their concerns. When push come to shove an army built like this has little to fight for as it has little to lose regardless of who runs the show and some would possibly gain by a change in control.

Had the coalition wanted to make a meaningful change they would have armed the women of Afghanistan. A female army would have had much to lose and would not be prone to surrender. Had the coalition embarked on an all-female army when they took over the girls from one- to twenty-year-old would now be well educated leaders, tacticians, helicopter piolets, fighter pilots and soldiers of a caliber unheard of in that country. This would be and army that would not just be there for a meal but to ensure their freedom and survival. Currently, at great peril to themselves, Afghan women are standing to be heard. Had these women been trained, armed and empowered they would truly be a brave ferocious power to be reckoned with.

To upend the patriarchy of Afghanistan would have been a challenge but not an impossibility. Islamic history has a number of well-respected female warriors and leaders. It has been the more modern history and the work of a small number of Imam’s that over empowered the patriarchy. Religions of all stripe are altered when a new group seeks to gain power and press their will. So done with care this shift would be not only possible but a positive move for the future of a country that has come to be known as the graveyard of empires. Currently the Afghan economy is tied with the drug trade and that would be the hardest fight. With women leading a new economy would have to be found as the warlords and insurgents would feel untouchable by their control of the economy.

This is a fight made for the women of the country as Afghanistan is enormously rich in minerals and rare earth metals. The abundance is so rich that Afghanistan has been referred to as the Saudi Arabia of minerals. A new constitution would have to ensure that full control of the mineral wealth remained in the hands of the Afghanis and not fall to international interests and corporations. With a new constitution placing women firmly leading the country and providing the security, Afghanistan would be well poised to become a world player.

This would not be quick, cheap or easy but would be much more likely to succeed than pouring lives and money into a process that has been proven to fail. An Afghanistan of this model would provide leadership and stability in a part of the world that we here understand little of.

I truly hope that I am wrong and we never have to endure terrorism that is likely to grow from this withdrawal or that our troops ever have to return. Should this happen, then let’s hope we have the courage to try a different solution and not repeat what has been proven to fail.