Why Are We In Afghanistan? A Movie - Watch the full free version here!

[Better Believe It]

WHY ARE WE IN AFGHANISTAN? A Movie

Watch the full free version on this link:
http://vimeo.com/8109480

U.S. military action in Afghanistan originated in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. That was then. This is now. Reasons for the war have become more cloudy as other factors have developed.

This film looks at domestic pressures and geo-strategic interests that keep the U.S. in the region, and the long history of U.S. foreign interventions that forms the broader context for this war.We also see today peace movement continuing another long tradition-popular resistance to war.

Why Are We in Afghanistan? is an educational resource for communities, unions, veterans and active duty military, classes, and anyone who wonders why we are in Afghanistan, and what to do about it.

written and directed by Michael Zweig
illustrated by Mike Konopacki
produced by Trish Dalton, Michael Zweig, and the Center for Study of Working Class Life
edited by Trish Dalton

[grantcart]

1. ah yes the old pipeline canard

The super secret pipeline project that the Asian Development Bank is cooking up!!!

Quoting from Zweig "Unreported There were meetings in Turkmenistan, in 2002 with the Bush Administration and Asian development Bank to build a pipeline going to Arabian Sea."

By the way Zweig's contention that Afghanistan has a future as a "major producer of natural gas" is not true, but he never really worries about facts much.

Well actually you can go to their web site and read about it. Thousands and thousands of pages of project assesments.

Read year after year all of their reports

http://www.adb.org/Documents/Articles/AFG/afg_2003001.asp

Of course besides the obvious security problems:

ADB is fully cognizant of the risks attached to this Project, and these are considerable. These risks pertain to the techno-economic viability of the Project, security aspects and the investment climate in the region. However, these risks can be seen as challenges that have to be faced to make the Project successful. We are confident that with necessary political will on part of participating countries, and based on excellent relationship between ADB and each of the four countries, these challenges will be addressed.

Now despite the fact that Afghanistan is a member of the ADB and the fact that all countries, even our so called enemies like North Korea and Iran have the right to develop their natural resources Afghanistan is not allowed this right.

Because if Afghanistan develops their natural resources then all of the money goes to the US because we have troops there.

Well except in Iraq when the Iraqi oil ministry handed out competitive bids on TV American firms did not do very well and the bids went to non Americans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/world/middleeast/13iraq.html?_r=1

While ExxonMobil and other American-based oil companies registered for the auction, none came away with a development deal on Friday or Saturday. But both ExxonMobil and California-based Occidental Petroleum are part of groups that have recently won oil field deals in Iraq.

So what does the ADB think that the pipeline project will do?

http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/Consultant/37085-AFG/37085-TACR-AFG.pdf

Help Reduce poverty


The project will have both income and non-income impacts on poverty reduction.
The income impacts are (i) new businesses will develop in response to the reliable supply
of natural gas, leading to increased employment opportunities and a wider rage of goods
and services, (ii) gas use will increase, ensuring incentives for additional gas production
that may be used for fertilizer, power and other gas-intensive industries, (iii) households
will experience time savings since energy in the form of natural gas is instantaneously
available, in contrast to the need to purchase bottled gas and/or firewood, (iv) natural gas
is cheaper than alternative fuels, and (v) employment opportunities during construction
and operations. Non-income impacts include (i) controlled depletion of forest resources,

But I guess that every country in the world has the right to exploit its natural resources except for the people in Afghanistan.

Well not much of an argument Michael Zweig, your facts don't support your allegations, but why do you need facts or logic when you can have a cartoon instead.

You Better Believe It!