After the Taliban: facts and figures

[Saif1924]

The Observer

· At least 3,600 Afghan civilians are believed to have been killed since the conflict began a year ago.

· Ten thousand tonnes of bombs were dropped, half the amount that hit London during the Blitz.

· $15 billion in Western aid is needed for reconstruction. $4.8bn has been pledged but so far only $1.8bn has arrived - most of which has been spent preventing seven million Afghans from dying of hunger.

· Sixteen Americans died in combat while 23 were killed in aircraft crashes or on other duty. Three British soldiers have died, one by friendly fire, two in an argument.

· Eight foreign journalists were killed.

· 1.7 million refugees have returned, about 70 per cent more than expected. The return has increased the number of street children in Kabul to 38,000.

· In March schools opened to 1.5m children, many of whom had not been to school for six years under Taliban rule. Thirty per cent of pupils are girls but 3m children are still not in school.

· 96 per cent of girls are illiterate and 60 per cent of boys.

· Unicef delivered 7m textbooks, 8m notebooks and 18,000 blackboards to 3,000 schools across the country.

· Opium production, banned under the Taliban, has risen from 185 tons in 2001 to 2,700 this year.

· The first post-war British tourists to Afghanistan departed at the end of August for a 10-day sightseeing trip in Kabul, Herat, Bamian and Mazar-e-Sharif.

comment: wow what an acheivement!

[mrpockets]

Afghan Government Hails U.S.-Led War as Liberation

http://news.excite.com/world/article/id/272560|world|10-06-2002::16:10|reuters.html

[Malik73]

*Originally posted by mrpockets: *
Afghan Government Hails U.S.-Led War as Liberation

http://news.excite.com/world/article/id/272560|world|10-06-2002::16:10|reuters.html

It would. They were put in power by the USA.

Here is another “achievment” of the US war in Afghanistan so far.

Afghan Poppy production rises 1400%](http://www.gupistan.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74221)

[rvikz]

mallik you have measure the success by how many refugees went back
and how many kids go to school . do you realy think they want taliban back. you are the only country first and last to recognise taliban.
please dont wish such bad curse on your neighbors.

[Malik73]

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by rvikz: *
mallik you have measure the success by how many refugees went back
and how many kids go to school
[/QUOTE]

Yes, and you have to take other much larger factors into account. A 1400% rise in poppy production in the last year, the return of warlordism in all parts of the country outside Kabul, brutal war criminals like Dostum in the government, law and order a greater problem than ever before, and the persecution of the Pashtun majority. I could list other issues, but when you sing the praises of the Northern Alliance thugs ruling Afghanistan always remember these things as well.

[rvikz]

mallik most of the promised aid did not arrive until then people have alterntive farming that is opium. if you htink every afghan can change their career opium farmer to orhthopedic surgeon you are very naive.
it takes long time to bring normalcy.

[Malik73]

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by rvikz: *
mallik most of the promised aid did not arrive...
[/QUOTE]

Yet another failure of the US-led war in Afghanistan. Add that to the list of "achievments" that I listed before of the US war against Afghanistan.

[Spock]

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by rvikz: *
mallik you have measure the success by how many refugees went back
and how many kids go to school . do you realy think they want taliban back. you are the only country first and last to recognise taliban.
please dont wish such bad curse on your neighbors.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah youre right, its now that they are thinking of leaving Pakistan and going back to their country, about time if you ask me...

[Majid007]

[QUOTE]
*At least 3,600 Afghan civilians are believed to have been killed since the conflict began a year ago. *
[/QUOTE]

More than these have been killed. The facts are just hidden away from the public. Pathetic.

[QUOTE]
· *Sixteen Americans died in combat while 23 were killed in aircraft crashes or on other duty. Three British soldiers have died, one by friendly fire, two in an argument. *
[/QUOTE]

lol, this is Afghanistan you're talking about, only 23 soldiers killed? Check out any pakistani newspaper, and ask them for a record of how much American soldiers have died in combat so far, or check out jihadunspun, and coalition casualties, gotten from official sources.

[Seminole]

Sure there wasn't as much poppy growing under the taliban-farmers feared the wrath of a brutal government. There wasn't as much adultery going on either. Why? Because no one wants to be toppled by a brick wall. Does this policy of fear instilled by threat of torture constitue good governing?

US and UK are providing millions to rebuild agriculture (and everything else) in Afghanistan. But Afghan poppy growers are refusing to cultivate wheat because it doesn’t generate the big bucks like poppy. A few weeks ago looters destroyed the largest seed collection in Afghanistan. I suppose the US should have been guarding it.

As we all know, the land, people, economy and infrastructure are in shambles after 25 years of war. The people are used to a lifestyle of survival of the fittest that included starvation, displacement, violent warlords, bribery and thievery. And the US is supposed to fix all of that overnight? US can provide the money, support, supplies, instruction, security, stability, and the iniatiation of institutions- but they can't change the people. (Unless they shoved bamboo sticks down the fingernails of suspected illegal poppy growers?)

The truth is that the liberation of Aghanistan has brought hope and opportunity to a war-torn country. More than 1.8 million Afghans have returned home this year, constituting the largest single refugee repatriation in 30 years. Foreign investments are pouring in for the first time in memory. Roads, schools and hospitals are being built like never before. Children (including girls) are returning to schools in droves. For the first time in their history, they have a representative government that is working toward democracy, human rights and women's rights.

It's not all rosey to be sure. True, I haven't been there to get first hand knowledge, nor have I talked to anyone recently in Afghanistan. But I bet that everyone who lambasts US 'achievements' in Afghanistan have been there either.

[Mokadaar]

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[Mokadaar]

To add to the list,

Women still wear the all-enveloping Burqa
In August, Indian movies and Women on Radio/TV in Kabul were banned and the ban is till in effect

And this is where you will send your young Muslim daughters to learn?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/021001/170/2cug0.html

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020928/168/2c7xz.html

where are the walls?

[Mr_Fraudia]

so what do ppl want. from a crapped out destroyed country to the bustling center of civilization in 6 months?

cant go zero to 60 in a split second really, can ya?

[Mokadaar]

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Fraudz: *
so what do ppl want. from a crapped out destroyed country to the bustling center of civilization in 6 months?

cant go zero to 60 in a split second really, can ya?
[/QUOTE]

But the world expected the Taliban to do it in 6 years while at war. On top of that you had sanctions, drought, famine etc. etc. At least the illiterate Mullahs brought some sense of security.

[Spock]

Re: After the Taliban: facts and figures

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Saif1924: *

The Observer

· At least 3,600 Afghan civilians are believed to have been killed since the conflict began a year ago.

There was a war going on… This was bound to happen

· Ten thousand tonnes of bombs were dropped, half the amount that hit London during the Blitz.

What else they would have done? They would have indicted a larger casualty rate if they had sent in their ground forces… They value the lives of their own soldiers first, thats not new is it?

· $15 billion in Western aid is needed for reconstruction. $4.8bn has been pledged but so far only $1.8bn has arrived - most of which has been spent preventing seven million Afghans from dying of hunger.

As opposed to virtually nothing that came during the Taliban regime…

· Sixteen Americans died in combat while 23 were killed in aircraft crashes or on other duty. Three British soldiers have died, one by friendly fire, two in an argument.

Well, thats good news for those who oppose the US and Karzai, so better not comment on it.

· Eight foreign journalists were killed.

Sad, but they were probably killed by the Taliban remnents, and we all know how they were into holding journalists as hostages…

· 1.7 million refugees have returned, about 70 per cent more than expected. The return has increased the number of street children in Kabul to 38,000.

The lesser refugees in Pakistan, the better for us.

· In March schools opened to 1.5m children, many of whom had not been to school for six years under Taliban rule. Thirty per cent of pupils are girls but 3m children are still not in school.

Atleast they now have a chance to goto school, as compared to the Taliban, who banned schooling for women.

· 96 per cent of girls are illiterate and 60 per cent of boys.

So what was this percentage during the Taliban regime?

· Unicef delivered 7m textbooks, 8m notebooks and 18,000 blackboards to 3,000 schools across the country.

Isnt that a good thing?

· Opium production, banned under the Taliban, has risen from 185 tons in 2001 to 2,700 this year.

You cant really say the Taliban didnt make money out of opium… They just did that in the latter stages.

· The first post-war British tourists to Afghanistan departed at the end of August for a 10-day sightseeing trip in Kabul, Herat, Bamian and Mazar-e-Sharif.

But isnt the present regime American/British stooges? How could they deport their own tourists? And were tourists allowed (except wearing veils) to enter Afghanistan in the Taliban regime?

comment: wow what an acheivement!

You cant really blame Karzais government for all this, most of thes problems have been inherited from the Taliban regime.

[Spock]

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Majid007: *

More than these have been killed. The facts are just hidden away from the public. Pathetic.

lol, this is Afghanistan you're talking about, only 23 soldiers killed? Check out any pakistani newspaper, and ask them for a record of how much American soldiers have died in combat so far, or check out jihadunspun, and coalition casualties, gotten from official sources.
[/QUOTE]

Im sorry but sites like jihaduspun dont classify as reliable sources. As for these pakistani newspapers you are referring, may I remind you that the same newspaper which once quoted 1600 US commandos got killed also declared that Mollah Omer was shaheed?

They have always declared if they lost a soldier. They carried out this attack in such a way that they cared about their own soldiers, as opposed to civilians etc in the cities... They used the NA and their air power to get rid of the Taliban, and then the Taliban themselves gave up, and vacated the cities (breaking their pledge).