Pakistan Strikes

Yikes, just when things look bad in Afghanistan, they get worse.

Pakistan has now struck against Taliban fighters along the boarder. It was unclear as to whether on not the attacks took place solely on Pakistan soil, but would be assumed so. Karzai has already recently announced an interest in waging war against Pakistan, for its interference in border relations. This might just be enough to put them over the edge. You'd think that war against they United Nations would be enough, but rational thinking isn't always the case here.

Makes me glad that I'll be out of the country for the next month. We already have another 1000 Taliban on the loose after the recent jail break, so that doesn't help things either. Not certain where the end in sight is.

I'm always confused when well educated people ask me about what it is like to live in a post-conflict country. I kindly remind them that Afghanistan is nowhere near post-conflict. A better descriptor would be in a state of escalating conflict.

Being in Bangladesh, which in all terms a developing country that is one of the most over-populated places on earth and struggling with the challenges that presents, makes me consider where Afghanistan is at. Looking at where Bangladesh is in terms of education, women's rights, etc., are ahead by at least thirty years if Afghanistan were to turn it around today and made an effort in that direction. That is to say, that it will be more than thirty years to even get to a state of merely developing and moving forward into this century.

Sorry I'm not more optimistic tonight, but I figured it was good to share anyway.

Best,

Miel