What sometimes seems inevitable may not be. Afghanistan may not have to fall to the Taliban advance. But extraordinary measures will have to be taken.
By whom?
By the Afghan people.
I recently read a report where the top American commander for the Middle East and Afghanistan, reassured President Ashraf Ghani of continued American air support. But by the end of August those attacks would be pulled back to focus only on Al Qaeda, if they represented a threat to the US itself.
That’s it.
Why is the rest of the world watching and not going to the assistance of the Afghan people as they face the mounting threat of total occupation and virtual enslavement by the Taliban?
Because they’re not seeing Afghans themselves putting an all out effort to defend their space.
Kandahar — the country’s second largest city — will soon be under siege by the encroaching Taliban. Is this not the time for all Afghans to put aside their differences and make defending their cities their number one priority ? Why can’t all able men and women request arms and step forward, ready to do battle?
Why can’t they form a circle around each of their cities and post images to the rest of the world that it is do or die for them? Post images that they are saying ‘no’ to submitting to a repressive and murderous theocracy. Post pictures and messages that they value what the West has done for them during the last 20 years and no, they will not surrender to the forces of intolerance.
Now is the time. Not when the Taliban come knocking on your door asking for you to bend to their will.
Using the internet, then broadcast to the rest of the world all that you’re doing, and the rest of the world is more than likely to join in support. But you have to put yourself out first.
Afghans have to arm the barricades to defend with their lives their right to choose how to live.
Americans or anyone else cannot do it for them.
What freedoms Afghans will have, must be defended with their own blood. With their own sacrifice. And if they are not willing to do so, then they will not have a land they can call their own.
Every piece of land on this earth that is rightly claimed by a proud people has a history written with blood. Those of us who have been fortunate enough not to spill blood in defense of our land are grateful for what our ancestors and our brothers and sisters did. And we honor them with our own efforts to build a better nation.
But never must we forget that it will take blood to defend what is most dear to us.
So let the brave Afghans step forward.
The world may yet listen and go to your side.
Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net
