Obama's War... Unveiled.

I recently viewed two videos concerning the Taliban and the war in Afghanistan. The first was Frontline's video, "Obama's War". It outlined the United States' involvement in Afghanistan and how Obama's war strategy is affecting the people and the troops in Afghanistan. It included interviews with generals, politicians and diplomats. It did not include interviews with Afghan citizens. The second video was "Afghanistan Unveiled," a short documentary shot by female Afghan journalists trained in their own country. These women had never before left Kabul, and so the journey to interview Hazara women whose lives have been uprooted by the Taliban was as much a first for them as for the audience. This documentary was solely about the citizens of Afghanistan, and all it showed of the international community's involvement was to mention the change that had occurred since the Taliban's defeat.



These two videos showed two sides of Afghanistan, and both were very informative on different issues. "Obama's War" showed where generals and other very important players stand on the issue of international involvement. It showed the efforts of the American troops to befriend the inhabitants of both urban and rural areas of Afghanistan, and the difficulties of doing so. It also explained the problem of Pakistan, with politicians and military men alike agreeing that this war will not end until Pakistan acknowledges that the Taliban are a terrorist group and makes an effort to displace and destroy their organization. It was a video that was directed towards ordinary citizens of the Western world, and more specifically, the United States. After watching this video, the general public will understand the reasons for and the importance of US involvement in protecting Afghan citizens and eliminating the Taliban, and this is perhaps the most important tool for Obama right now as he makes decisions about troops that could decrease his popularity amongst voters. If the voters are informed as to why the troops are there in the first place, they can make an educated decision as to which front they support.

"Afghanistan Unveiled" was a much more personal story and showed how the people of the country our troops are in are reacting to their new found freedom; it allows for the comparison of Western women's idea of freedom to that of Afghan women. It showed the true havoc and destruction the Taliban wrought on the women of Afghanistan: the loss of their personal freedom and security; the murder of their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons; and in the case of Hazara women, the displacement from their homes, whereupon they were forced to move into caves and other primitive dwellings. (More information about women's rights in Afghanistan can be found here, here and here.) The female journalists were in considerable danger while filming, especially as they went unveiled and wanted to interview other women. When they weren't turned away by tribal elders, the women they interviewed were generally veiled and restrained the passion of their misery lest they endanger themselves or their families for speaking out against the Taliban. The journalists were excited at the prospect of travelling, and honest in their commentary. They listened to their fellow countrywomen with earnest interest and empathy, weeping when they heard the stories of brutal rape and killings executed by the Taliban and the confinement and repression of women in urban areas. They showed the world what women in Afghanistan were going through, and the change that has occurred since the Taliban were overthrown.

Both these videos taught me something new about Afghanistan; I learnt of both the international affairs of the country and it's internal state, what it's people are concerned about and the hardships they suffer. These videos should be shown to more average citizens, so they come to know the invisible foe that we have all been turned against. Perhaps in learning more about the culture of this country we can unmask that foe, and know him better. After all, you can't help what you don't know.