Rex Murphy’s essay, “What We Are Fighting For,” strives to outline the reasons behind the Canadian governments’ continued deployment of troops to Afghanistan. Murphy reviews the initial reasoning for deploying troops overseas, then continues on to explain that simply disbanding the Taliban government is insufficient. He indicates that the UN led mission is also implementing peacekeeping measures, and Canadian troops, as Peacekeepers remained. Murphy outlines the ambitious peacekeeping goals and provides insight into civil liberties those of us from democratic nations, often take for granted. The author then delves into the intricacies and obstacles faced in attempting to install a democratic government in a country still under threat of Taliban…
In his essay” What are we fighting for,” Rex Murphy discusses what he sees as the most compulsory reasons Canadian troops are in Afghanistan, to support some form of democracy that can resist malevolent influences and provide for its citizens, basic civil opportunities. Murphy begins his discussion with recapping the events leading up to our involvement in the Afghanistan operations, primarily 911, and supporting our ally, the United States in removing a government that supported such atrocities. The Afghanistan mission, which was UN approved, was intent on, most importantly, removing the Taliban and providing stability for its citizens through better government. However, Murphy discusses how without support a new government is not sustainable…
Afghanistan is a war torn country located in central Asia. There are currently approximately 319, 000 internally displaced people in Afghanistan. (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2012) The poverty is extreme, there are frequent natural disasters that tear down cities and villages, (Refugees International, 2001) and the people are in continual danger of violence. This violence includes constant suicide bombings, ambushes, abductions and rocket attacks. In 2009 there were at least 12 of these incidences every day. (Kazem-Stojanovic, 2011) They are living in fear of their lives 24/7. Due to a severe drought in 2011, there is a lack of food and therefore thousands are suffering from starvation. (Refugees International, 2001) There is also the current issue of the coalition forces deciding to take their troops out at the end of 2014. (Amiri, 2012) Citizens fear that once they are gone the Taliban will regain full control again.…
Landler provides some background knowledge on the Afghanistan War that began in 2001, but more so on the presidential side of the war. The article illustrates the thoughts and decisions that President Barack Obama has made regarding the Afghan War. The author provides a video of President Obama giving a speech in regards to the new Afghanistan plan. Landler also recognizes the people, organizations, and presidential administrations that were significant to the war. The article describes the removal of United Sates troops from Afghanistan. It also specifies that only a dominant force of U.S. troops will be left to assist the Afghan military with military needs and security. This article is beneficial because it presents the view of the war from…
Yet while our principles continue, unscarred and secure, the same is not true in Afghanistan. There, the peaceful teachings of Islam have been cast aside, and instead are used to promote violence. There, women have no rights to education. There, human trafficking and massacres against civilians have become common. There, leaders are self-appointed. We are fighting for their safety and protection as much as our own. The battle we share stems from a desire to fight those oppressing freedom, not civilians caught in the crossfire. Food, refuge, and medical aid will be available to our friends.…
The war in Iraq is against a single man, Saddam Hussein and his government, while the war in Afghanistan is against terrorist forces, especially the Taliban. In this war, we are facing secretive groups that have no rules or laws within the chain of command while in World War II the men fought front line battles, as with most wars prior. We have every right to defend our culture and civilization but we are wrong to destroy people’s towns and lives with no logic, purpose or goal. We have been skeptical as to where the terrorists have been going and we have been destructive on our journey to find them. A similarity between the two wars is that the Nazi’s never attacked the United States and neither did the Taliban. Their allies attacked us, the Japanese and the Al-Queda. It is interesting how in both of these wars the people that we ended up fighting never attacked us in the first place! But, in the end, during World War II, we had clear reasons as to why we entered the war. We stayed out of it as much as we could and entered only when it was necessary for the safety of the American people. Although we had similar intensions entering the War on Terror, our suspicions of Saddam Hussein’s plans to develop weapons of massive destruction influenced the final decision of…
As a result of so many negative factors, the United States has lost a clear reason for why we are at war. Winston Churchill described the conflict of war as a “supreme emergency.” The kind of war being conducted in Afghanistan today falls outside of the definition. America also has no terms regarding what a satisfactory conclusion might look like. The forces will never know when the goal has been met, because the visions have now been blurred. The nation should not be fighting a war without great reason and clear…
Dr Toby Dodge has identified several faulty assumptions that underpin military intervention, which explain why the US failed to bring order and development to Afghanistan and Iraq. One of these assumptions is that military force can achieve political ends, something which it did not do in Afghanistan. Henry A. Crumpton, a former CIA officer who was largely involved in ousting the Taliban, confessed that winning the war in Afghanistan required the US to “get in at a local level and respond to people’s needs so that enemy forces cannot come in and take advantage.” In ignoring this fundamental aspect of counterinsurgency, efforts succeeded only in keeping urgent problems at bay while hoping that the situation in Afghanistan would improve on its own. This brings us to a second faulty assumption underpinning military intervention: the overestimation of the stability, competence and popularity of the intervener’s local allies.…
In 2001, President George Bush (43) involved the United States in one of the longest combat fights in U.S. Millions of dollars of the U.S. budget, in which there is little or no room for, have been funded to send force to Afghanistan. The US should not be policing Afghanistan because it is up to the Afghans to decide how the government should be ran…
The War on Terror is tough to define. It is considered a war, but not in the traditional sense. When one thinks of war they think of enemies, a battlefield, weapons, and death. However, the war on terror is slightly different. The lines that define enemies and allies are blurred, there is no battlefield, and the weapons come in all shapes and sizes. Nonetheless, there has still been death.…
The government school system has completely collapsed. The lack of funding and cohesiveness amongst educators and government has caused the system to literally crumble. School buildings are also in war zones and a lot of them are structurally unsafe at this point. They have been replaced by schools of the Taliban. The Taliban actually offer guaranteed food and shelter to the children who attend their schools. Parents will even receive a monthly stipend. While madrassas are usually seminaries that teach different schools of thought, the Taliban use them to teach radically Islamic fundamentalism. Basically, they are brainwashing children into becoming jihadists or martyrs. On camera the man stated madrassas are used to teach children to play a positive role in society and that peace and love are vital to success. This was not the same explanation when the camera was off.…
The conflicts that occurred in Afghanistan were the product of issues that stemmed decades back. The costs that were needed in order to continue fighting had many negative effects on Canada. As the military enlisted a vast number of soldiers, many lives were negatively affected by the war in various ways- which included death for numerous Canadians. Also, financial strain and time commitment needed had tremendous costs to Canada. Then, the goals that were set out and the outcomes that were met had significant costs.…
The U.S went thru the most tragic, life changing, mind conflicting event of all time. On September, 11, 2001 terrorist flew two plans into the Twin Towers in New York City. The terrorist attack on 9/11 devastated and ruined an enormous amount of American lives. Weather an American lost a friend, loved one, or relative, every American lost something valuable that day. Americans lost their right to feel safe: at work, at home, or at popular locations. The last time American safety was threatened was during World War II.U.S citizens are not use to war or violence happening in their country, unlike the Middle East. Americans do not reacted positively, when tragic situation happen. Their reaction to 9/11 changed the American perception of Afghanistan and Muslim culture. Americans lost all their trust for Muslims. That lack of trust between them created a whole new stereotype. Stereotype: A general statement or word, fit to describe a specific group of people. The American stereotype created to describe Muslims is anyone who is Muslim or from the Middle East was sent to America, to destroy their wealthy non dictated, country. National Geographic Channel says,” Afghans who fled their homeland for a new life in the United States are troubled to find themselves subject to suspicion and mistrust on the basis of their nationality and religion.” Based off of this information, Muslims are all being put into one pile, stereotypically. Afghanistan man who goes by the name of Fouzia Afshari says,” We are good people, we are civilized” who volunteers at Mustafa Center, an Afghan…
During times of war the role of the president’s is responsible for martial law. The military plays a role in the martial law because it is too make sure everything is governed correctly. Habeas Corpus is established so that a person can know what their charge is. However, if the defendant claim is denied the Supreme Court will take control over the trial. The United States has being the target of several terror attacks. Habeas corpus is an important civil right that should be given to those accused of committing acts of terror.…
Prescription depressants are responsible for fourteen percent of overdoses while street drugs, such as marijuana, are guilty for thirty-nine percent of drug overdoses (Maxwell 267). Statistics prove the prescription drug epidemic that adolescents and adults face. Teenagers in suburbs and rural areas are more frequently exposed to prescription and illegal opiates due to its marketability and highly addictive properties. As consumers of prescription opiates build a tolerance, the addict begins to find cheaper opiates, such as cocaine and heroin, to satisfy their craving. Prescription opiates, administered by medical doctors, are commonly used to relieve sports injuries and other traumas. Doctors…