I am interested to know why people think Afghanistan was a necessary conflict ? I see it as a world apart from whats going on in Iraq but the premise of the Afghanistan war still doesnt sit right with me.
To me it was a number of reasons that added up to only 1 conclusion.
1. Afghanistan was the world's largest producer of opium/heroine. Granted, the Taliban had put a massive dent in the production, but they were also in civil war and hardly what you'd call a stable government.
2. One of the worst governments for human rights in the world. I don't have to look too much further to see some of the worst abuses carried out by a government in history.
3. They were housing a terrorist organisation that had carried out a large number of international attacks and also had the potential to grow in scale and destruction if not confronted.
Ok, I know that the opium production is up to pre-taliban levels again, I know that human rights abuses are still carrying on and I know that Al Qaeda hasn't been stopped. But, I was talking about the invasion, not the execution.
But, most importantly, I think that Afghanistan needed help and if they had got it the M.E. would have changed in consequence. The Taliban overthrown by a multinational force with UN mandate, democratic government elected in to power (this could be a religious fundemental government if that is what they chose, as long as the elections were free and they were not belligerant (sp)). Then a massive reconstruction effort by the whole world.
This way your Iraq's, Iran's and Syria's of the world would see not only the capacity and will of the world to depose brutal regimes but also the benefit of the bloke/lassy on the street. W're talking clean water, food, cooking oils and sugar, schools, hospitals, government services and safety. Tell me one society that doesn't want that.
After showing capacity, willingness/resolve to finish the job and the wish to provide instead of occupy, I think it would have been far more easy to topple M.E. governments like that of Saddam's. Firstly, you may have been able to instigate a revolution, maybe not that of the coloured kind, but better the indigenants kick it off and the world assits. Secondly, if international forces were required for the job, you would not se this massive insurgency we do now.
Lastly, Al Qaeda would have lost a HUGE amount of global support. They get this support because the M.E./Islamic world largely sees the US/West as an aggressor. If this could be turned around to be seen as a provider, liberater, things would have been very different now...., so I believe anyway.
This is what the US wanted to do. Disempower Al Qaeda, break the extremism coming fromt he region that threatened the US, push the democracy ideal, secure energy resources and I do believe liberate oppressed people. The only problem is, that they have their heads up their arse/a Republican government and let private agendas and hubris cloud their decision making.
