I agree with the other 31 progressives who voted it down. We still have work to do in Afghanistan. I have followed Afghanistan for some time now, like Robb. I've also kept informed with the likes of people like Greg Mortenson, one of the most progressive people on the face of the planet,
who is actually doing something progressive in Afghanistan, who also supports President Obama's efforts. President Obama is directly responsible for having the Military Commanders work with people like Mortenson. His writings on Afghanistan and how to affect real change there are required reading for the Military serving in Afghanistan. It's also a United World effort to fix Afghanistan. This is why we'll succeed there.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34238313/ns/us_news-givingMortenson is someone the military's top brass listens to — and has often consulted with. "Three Cups of Tea" has become required reading for U.S. commanders and troops deploying to Afghanistan, making Mortenson a valued but unofficial adviser to the Pentagon. Mortenson's follow-up book, "Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs," was released Monday.
'I now think the military gets it'
In an interview, Mortenson, a former U.S. Army medic and mountain climber from Bozeman, Mont., retracted earlier remarks that the U.S. Army were all “laptop warriors … who don’t have a clue what was going on locally, on the ground.” Now, he says, “despite a steep learning curve on the part of the U.S. military, I now think the military gets it.”
Since April, Mortenson has facilitated more than 35 meetings in Afghanistan between local shura, or tribal leaders, and U.S. military commanders, including Gens. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, and David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command. In those meetings, he says, more than 200 shura from dozens of provinces in Afghanistan conveyed that they want less military might and more brainpower from Americans in their push to rebuild after years of conflict. “They want us to know that it’s not just about fighting the Taliban but also about relationship-building with Afghan civilians and helping the Afghanis build schools and the infrastructure that they want and need.”
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