Remembering the fallen in Afghanistan
M. Ashraf Haidari
May 21, 2010
The recent visits by President Hamid Karzai to the Walter Reed Army Medical
Center, Arlington National Cemetery and Fort Campbell in Kentucky underscored
the deep gratitude of the Afghan people and government to the ultimate
sacrifices of the American military and civilians to help stabilize Afghanistan.
At Arlington National Cemetery , President Karzai paid his profound respects
to the fallen soldiers of the United States and our allies in Afghanistan . He
consoled the families and loved ones of the fallen in Afghanistan , who bravely
fought alongside Afghans to liberate our nation from the tyranny of the Taliban
and Al Qaeda terrorists. Without our shared sacrifices, the Afghan people would
not have been free from fear, terror and suffering - and the United States and
the rest of the world would not have been a safer place for all of us today.
The parents of the fallen may be reminded that Afghan parents - who have lost
more than 2 million of their sons and daughters to decades of imposed conflicts
on our country - share their deep grief on the irreplaceable loss of their dear
children in Afghanistan , where we continue fighting a common enemy.
Indeed, it is because of their children's ultimate sacrifice that Afghanistan
is free and we have a democratic government today. It is because of their
children's ultimate sacrifice that Afghan women are no longer confined behind
walls and that 8 million Afghan girls and boys are going back to school today;
and it is because of their children's ultimate sacrifice that Afghans are
optimistic and hopeful again about our secure future.
Afghans and our history will never forget the sacrifices of 1,000 American
soldiers, who fought and died, courageously defending their country and saving
the Afghan people from despair and oppression under a foreign extremist movement
that has nothing in common with the Afghan culture or our national vision of a
free, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan .
The families and loved ones of the troops serving in Afghanistan today should
be assured that the Afghan people welcome and support your sons and daughters in
uniform. The U.S. forces are Afghanistan 's co-liberators, and that is how the
vast majority of the Afghan people perceive them. Afghans demand security,
justice and democracy, which they know can only be attained by long-term
international engagement in our country.
A BBC-ABC-ARD poll released in January 2010 confirms that a widespread mood
of optimism and sense of unity exists among Afghans. It showed that 70 percent
of respondents thought Afghanistan was going in the right direction, while 90
percent wanted the country run by the current government, and only 6 percent
favored a return of the Taliban regime. The same survey showed Mr. Karzai with a
72 percent approval rating, and 60 percent viewed government performance
favorably.
From early 1990s, we recall that that premature international disengagement
from Afghanistan made our country a no man's land where transnational
extremists, terrorists and criminals freely roamed and used our country as a
launching pad to endanger international peace and security. The tragedy of Sept.
11, 2001, is a sad reminder, and one that we should never forget.
Indeed, freedom has never been free. Our two nations - Afghanistan and the
United States - have sustained many losses in blood and treasure to reach this
turning point in our history. We collectively owe it to the sacrifices of the
fallen to build upon our shared achievements thus far and to overcome the
challenges facing our two countries. Together, we can and must succeed to
consolidate Afghanistan 's hard-won liberty and to ensure global peace and
justice for everyone.
M. Ashraf Haidari is the political counselor of the Embassy of Afghanistan in
Washington .
The above article originally appeared in the
Washington Times. Reprinted here with permission from the author.
Back to Top
