Really? Pakistan is the Most Dangerous Country in the World?

“Iraq for Sale – The War Profiteers”, “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price”, “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism” – Robert Greenwald and his company Brave New Films do impressive work, and I have counted myself as a fan. And as such, today it is with great reluctance that I question his approach for his newest endeavor: “Rethink Afghanistan”.

A friend e-mailed me about this and I immediately dug in, and found this headline, “Pakistan, the Most Dangerous Country in the World”. There were a couple of video trailers of various scholars, diplomats, military folks who gave sound bites about how no one should rattle this country, and how the fate of Afghanistan and Pakistan are inextricably linked.

I am an east-Indian and routinely have to remind myself that there are real people living in Pakistan and not monsters, since as a child of parents who barely survived the partition, I’ve been genetically programmed to be hostile to this country. And even I was rattled. Why is that we are outraged when President Bush declares a few countries to be the axis-of-evil, and yet when a progressive declares a country to be the “Most Dangerous Country in the World”, we remain silent? We even might start thinking, wow, this must be truth.

As Mr. Greenwald investigates and rethinks Afghanistan, I want to urge him to consider the following in his new documentary. I want him to challenge his viewers to ponder this question:

“When the United States of America spends more on manufacturing killing paraphernalia than the rest of the world combined, could it be that we are the most dangerous country in the world”?

To make sure that people really understood, he could use the following image to show how our defense spending is almost MORE THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD COMBINED. (Link Here to see the picture below more clearly)


I would like him to investigate this question: Since in the above pie chart Pakistan is not even a sliver, and yet it is awash in arms, where are those arms coming from? Could they be from the five members of the U.N. Security Council, who together manufacture 80 percent of the world’s arms? Does that not beg the question: Are the five members of the Security Council the most dangerous countries in the world?

Mogadeshu, Dafur, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq – all countries in heavy conflict and heavily armed. Where are these arms coming from?

Why is it that our drug policy is to spend billions to try and stop the supply and not the demand, but when it comes to our arms policy it is not applicable?

Please consider the following facts:

Since 1992, the United States has exported more than $142 billion dollars worth of weaponry to states around the world.[1] The U.S. dominates this international arms market, supplying just under half of all arms exports in 2001, roughly two and a half times more than the second and third largest suppliers. [2 ] U.S. weapons sales help outfit non-democratic regimes, soldiers who commit gross human rights abuses against their citizens and citizens of other countries, and forces in unstable regions on the verge of, in the middle of, or recovering from conflict.

The United States military has had to face troops previously trained by its own military or supplied with U.S. weaponry in Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, and now in Afghanistan. Due to the advanced capabilities these militaries have acquired from past U.S. training and sales, the U.S. had to invest much more money and manpower in these conflicts than would have otherwise been needed.

I have ranted on in my living room about the military industrial complex, and one day my step-son asked me to explain the concept to him using simple language. I thought a bit and used the analogy of a farmer growing potatoes and selling them. I asked him why I would keep on buying potatoes. He laughed and said, because you love them so much, you keep eating them up. I said, similarly, if someone makes money by selling arms, why would someone keep on buying more and more? His laughter died as the puzzle fell into place and he whispered, because they keep using them up.

My request to Mr. Greenwald is to also address this side of the equation, how the supply of arms, more and more and more arms to Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan is affecting the stability of this region, and then to again ask the question, “Just who is the most dangerous country in the world”?

Falling in love with Afghanistan

This is December 2008, and I’m on my fourth visit to Afghanistan. I’ve never been able to explain to anyone, including myself, why this historically xenophobic and fiercely independent country feels like home – warm and welcoming. In response to this baffling and helpless love for an elusive and dangerous country, many “internationals” contend that they have been afflicted by the SARS virus - Sudden Afghanistan Return Syndrome.

While my stories will be generalized, I do want to state that Afghanistan is a diverse country. The largest tribe is the Pashtuns, followed by the Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks. There are many other smaller ethnic groups including Hindus and Sikhs. Finally, significant portions of the population are also nomads. It is completely landlocked, surrounded by a variety of countries whose names end in “stan”, Iran and China. She has two national languages – Pashto, a complex and difficult language, and Dari, a derivative of Persian with many words similar to Urdu.

I’m going to start this post with some initial impressions of the people of Kabul. It is nestled in a valley surrounded by towering and bare rock mountains. A shockingly visible culture clash plays itself out as women in complete powder blue burkhas share the streets with other women dressed modestly in skirts and pants, along with defiantly laughing and chattering girls in uniform walking as if they own the streets. Young men unaware that they are sporting T-shirts promoting girls underwear (Hanes, Her Way) share the dusty and rocky footpaths with men in turbans, long beards and salwar-kameez. Armored SUV’s are as responsible for causing traffic-jams as the donkey-carts and shepherds herding large flocks of fat, black and brown sheep. The balance of this clash still favors heavily the older times, so much so that a friend of mine recently remarked, “any moment I’m expecting Jesus to come around the corner and say, Hi Christina!”.

The bigger surprise is the people themselves. Where are those fierce men that I imagined from watching TV in America? Instead I find men who are relentlessly polite, hospitable and protective. It is rare to see a man raise his voice, and common to see them carry their children and go goo-goo-ga-ga over a cute child as easily as any woman. The Afghan hospitality is legendary, and like an urban myth everyone seems to know that ONE man who killed his own son for not being hospitable enough to a guest. They really do mean it when they say, “my house is always open to you” and one part of a room is always set to receive guests. Bowls of almonds, walnuts, raisins and candy are set on an oil-cloth on the floor. Cups of tea overturned on saucers are ready to be poured with green tea flavored with cardamom the moment a guest steps into the house.

A few weeks ago, a group of us “internationals” were parked on the street to pick up a friend. As there was already a car in front of the friend’s house, we were parked in front of the house next door. As we waited, an elderly man came out of the house we were parked in front of and asked us what we wanted. We explained we were waiting for a friend from the neighboring house. He smiled, and asked, “While you are waiting, would you like some tea?” We profusely thanked him and declined and he ambled away. We shook our head in disbelief as we launched into discussions on contrasting behaviors in each of our respective countries when we sometimes need to park in front of a neighbor’s house – leave alone in front of a stranger’s house.

I will end with this story of an astonishing behavior that would be thought of as irresponsible and dangerous in any large city in America or India.

I was once going someplace in my car with my driver and bodyguard. We were up high on a mountain road and stopped because of some construction work. There were no cars ahead of me or behind me. Two women in full burqa knocked on the driver’s door. He rolled it down and they said something. The driver responded and rolled up the window. I looked at his face and saw that he was flushing a bright red, as if from embarrassment. I asked him what the women wanted and he replied that they had wanted a ride down the mountain but he told them that he did not have permission. I asked him if it was safe and he said, “Yes, we do it all the time in the mountains.” I said, “You mean, strange women walk up to strange men in unknown cars and ask for rides?” Both men said, “Yes, of course, it is difficult for the poor women to go up and down the mountains by foot”.

Much to the driver’s relief, I asked him to give the women a ride. They sat silently next to me, and got off quietly with a murmured “thank you” at the foot of the mountain. When I think of the number of times I’ve stood in freezing temperatures waiting for a bus, and people in cars whizzing by without stopping or the possibility of knocking on a strange window asking for a ride not even occurring in my fantasy, I have to wonder who really has a firmer grip on being civilized?

Why is the pace of reconstruction in Afghanistan slow?

It is important to understand that when the destruction of a country is so complete, improvements will be at glacial speed. Over a period of 30 years, hospitals, schools, universities, irrigation systems, farmlands, parks, entertainment centers, museums, art galleries, libraries, and more have been destroyed. Systems that make up civil society and run things: education of children, fire and water departments, communication, garbage

clearance, banking; all severely damaged. Over two million people are dead. One out of five Afghans has left the country. Thirty percent of households are headed by unskilled women or boys under the age of 15. The remaining population includes a high percentage of people with severe physical disabilities, and 70 percent of the people live on less than a dollar a day.

But all of this destruction pales in comparison to the horror when the person we are depending upon to rebuild the country is a shattered human being, a shadow of what was once the legendary proud Afghan. This is where hope starts to falter and fear sets in, when aid workers like me begin to realize that the fundamental instrument needed for a successful reconstruction - an adult Afghan that can think critically, exercise leadership, effectively solve problems, negotiate, manage etc. - is badly, even severely damaged.

What does this mean? I will focus on three qualities that are difficult to find in large quantities in Afghanistan. First is a person's ability to believe in and plan for the future. Sarah Chayes, author of the book The Punishment of Virtue, says that Afghanistan has become a nation of citizens suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD. It is all in the "now", as if the mind is unwilling to believe that peace might finally come.

Trust represents the second quality sorely lacking in Afghanistan. A culture known for its legendary loyalty to each other that comes from centuries of tribal structures and blood marriages has broken down completely. A friend of mine calls his country "a nation of agents". He tells me that the last 30 years has seen the Russian invasion, followed by civil war, the Taliban and now, international troops. Men have been and continue to be rewarded for "telling on each other" for so long that brother no longer trusts his own brother.

The third quality lacking in today's Afghanistan is critical thinking. These are the set of skills that allow us to solve problems, assess risk, negotiate, create effective presentations, and write a proposal - skills that are critical to speedy and successful reconstruction. As another friend said: "It takes six months to build a house, and six seconds to destroy it." Afghanistan has experienced 30 years of six seconds. I will leave it to you to do the math.

People will blame corruption, not enough aid, lack of security - the list goes on. However, all of these obstacles can be navigated if enough skilled and emotionally whole human beings reside in a nation. In the US, we have seen that those areas with sound "human resources" can jump back on their feet quickly after experiencing complete devastation cased by tornadoes, floods, droughts, etc.

The question then that begs to be asked is: how do we move forward? How do we get to the point where we focus less on humanitarian and more on reconstruction? I believe the answer lies in the belief that Afghans do have the skills, and that we can develop more effective partners in the reconstruction effort by acknowledging the skills Afghans do have, understanding and respecting their culture, and working within these contexts to help Afghans help themselves.

We must acknowledge that Afghans have the potential to be good leaders and problem solvers. Most Afghans older than 35 have exhibited strong leadership and problem-solving skills while moving their families over and over again to escape war, seeking refuge in a camp, then either moving back to Afghanistan or seeking asylum in a foreign land. Not surprisingly, these same skills developed in crisis tend to lose all translation in the work environment. Our challenge is to create an environment of trust and encouragement, enabling Afghans to exercise good judgment without feeling threatened by "internationals".

We must believe that, just as we would address "at risk neighborhoods" by balancing security with opportunities, the same applies in Afghanistan. We cannot delay reconstruction in the country's most troubled regions until every aspect of security risk is addressed. Since the adults are so badly scarred, we need to invest heavily in the children. No doubt, the children are the future leaders of Afghanistan. The three sectors that need to be nurtured heavily are: primary, secondary and higher education for boys and girls. This effort includes building schools; training teachers; introducing modern curricula in science, math and English; and providing adequate supplies of books, stationary and laboratories.

Another sector needing immediate attention is agriculture. Afghans are skilled farmers. Thirty years ago, the country was self-sufficient in food, even exporting excess supply. Now, Afghans lack the technology to reclaim the land devastated by proliferation of landmines and chemical warfare. Finally, Afghans need opportunities for people with low levels of modern skills. This sector includes vocational training, construction-related jobs, loans for small businesses, and creation of businesses and markets for women to operate out of their own homes.

Admittedly, establishing security remains critical. However, revitalization of the sectors mentioned above cannot represent a mere fraction of the effort being spent on security. No one, not even the greatest of world military powers, has been able to conquer the people of Afghanistan. With help to get back on their own feet, Afghans can look after themselves and rebuild the lives they have lost over the past three decades.

So how should we go about this revitalization effort? Aside from sharing money and international expertise, we internationals must not fail to operate within the Afghan cultural context. Otherwise, the reconstruction effort will fail. This reality requires us to dig deep into ourselves and find a never drying well of love, compassion, patience, genuine respect, and a belief that we can learn as much from them as we teach.

Afghans are extraordinarily hospitable and friendly. One never needs to call before visiting, and you can always count on tea, cookies and other goodies. Guests are honored in a way that leaves most people speechless. Questions that are considered personal to us are routine to them: What does your father do? Are you married? How many children? How many siblings? All of these questions can come up in the first half hour of a conversation. We need to maintain this behavior. We need to make the effort to know personal details about the Afghans we work with.

Afghans are frighteningly generous. Hardly a minute lapses between the completion of a scarf and the gifting of the finished product to another. Children share a bag of cookies as easily as we count one, two, three. We need to make an effort to exhibit that kind of generosity. It is routine and normal in their culture. For example, we cannot come into a meeting room with a bag of chips and start eating because we missed lunch. Afghans are horrified by this behavior! They would rather starve than not share their own bag of chips.

Afghans are very hard-working and quick studies. We should give Afghans the opportunity to do a job while we exhibit the patience to overcome hurdles of language, lack of computer skills, etc. Let us walk that journey with them to understand the level of difficulty, and use the experience as an opportunity to build mutual trust and respect.

Afghans are family-oriented. I do not anticipate the need to teach a class on work-life balance! Instead of looking down at Afghans for leaving work promptly at 4:30pm, et us learn from them how to honor the importance of family in our lives.

Finally, let us remember that we are guests. We are here because we want to help but we are being paid very well. let us not cop an attitude.In a culture that values hospitality to the point where a fther killed his own son for dishonoring a guest, we should behave as good guets. We can then become friends, developing into a great team that works together in the reconstruction ieffort.

I believe that if we do this, all of those hidden skills, lost confidence and self-esteem will come roaring back. I have seen this happen as I have worked ith enightened and seasoned internationals experienced in working in conflict zones. I hope you can come to Afghansitan to learn for yourself, and bringback with you a compelling and altnerative vision for how to lead the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan.

Response to "Taliban Poised at the gates of Kabul"

The article “Taliban poised at the gates of Kabul” is a typical example of irresponsible journalism – the kind of voyeuristic, fear-mongering, hope-crushing, let’s-give-up-on-Afghanistan-pandering journalism that we can expect from Rush Limbaugh, but elicits a response of deep disappointment when headlined on CNN.

I’ve been living in Afghanistan now for seven months, and this is my fourth visit to the country as a civilian. By the way, I am a woman. In this time, I’ve seen Kabul transformed from a city where every third building was damaged to a city with booming construction, a thriving retail business, increasing numbers of girls and women participating in life outside of their homes, a choice of seventeen channels on television, and a thriving banking industry. Afghans here get 6% interest on their deposits, something that we Americans can stand to be desperately jealous of.

An exhibit for briquettes (an alternative to wood) at the Kabul Agriculture Fair, 2008

Yes, there are security issues – serious ones. However, the tone of this article is one that gives insight to the saying, “a little knowledge is dangerous”. Reading this article would have my family and friends cringe with terror about my safety. However, the reality is, even with this current situation, the streets of Kabul are safer than those of Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Detroit etc. I challenge the author to compare the percentage of deaths caused through violence in Kabul vs. any of the cities above.

Yes, with the current population crush in Kabul, it would be easy for the Taliban to attack anywhere, anytime. Then – why don’t they? Could it be that they are increasingly finding it difficult to recruit? Could it be that the Afghan intelligence system is getting better? Is it possible that there are more patriotic Afghan police than corrupt? Has the author taken the responsibility to do a minor survey of ordinary citizens here to find out the overwhelming lack of support for the Taliban? Or has she convinced herself of abject terror – the same kind she is trying to convince the readers of.

To call Kabul as “one of the last bastions of security in Afghanistan” is a downright lie. There are no other words for it. A deeply dangerous and thoughtless lie. Has the author traveled to Bamiyan, Takhar, Daikundi, Mazar, Nangahar, Balkh, Panjsher, Herat and other provinces in Afghanistan? When I read the line out to several Afghans here, they just started laughing at the unbelievable level of ignorance.
Men and women gathering to see a play written by
women for women at an outdoor theater in Kabul

The author goes on to say after lamenting about the low wages of Afghan police and the resulting corruption, “Still, coalition forces have no choice but to keep rooting for Kabul's cops” Actually, the coalition forces can do something. If making Afghanistan secure is so important to the coalition, the high command could insist and make a serious and public recommendation that aid money be used to supplement the wages of the Afghan police and security forces. They could, on national television and in congressional hearings, say that increasing the pay of the Afghan police and army is an integral part of the strategy to improve national security.

But of course that brings me to my final question: If our press does not write about the horror that is Afghanistan instead of real and transformational solutions, how could we keep feeding the insatiable hunger of our military industrial complex?


The proud owner of the prize winning goat at the Kabul Ag Fair