The world sounds livelier, younger, awake. The snow geese are headed here on their way to Canada’s northern tundra for nesting. Spring is breaking through Vermont’s winter-lite.
It’s happening in Kabul too where the winter was severe. Yes, due to snowfall the power was off from morning till night yesterday where my friend lives, but it is not as cold, not as dark, and warmer weather is expected this week.
An American leaves his barracks after midnight, bursts into several Afghan homes and  kills 16 people in cold blood. It’s hard not to think of this as a sick reaction to the Afghan demand that NATO cease its night raids. In the wake of the Quran burning and the subsequent death of 30 Afghans in the protests, it’s not impossible. The unimaginable happens in war.
We dread the news, my friend and I. We talk of Nowruz (New Day), spring’s official arrival March 21 and the beginning of the new year. Traditions among Afghanistan’s peoples vary, but house-cleaning, making/buying of new clothes for the whole family, preparing or buying special foods, and visiting family and friends are common. More importantly, it is time to for making peace, reconciling with relatives and neighbors, and starting fresh.
All of us recognize the arrival of spring and renew our relationship with the natural world to some degree. In the spirit of this awareness, let’s remember that countries too go through cycles. This is not the first time that Afghan-American relations have been on the rocks, and it will not be the last. That’s doesn’t mean they will always be so. Change is in the air.
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Time to end “Obama’s War.” The Afghans and Americans both want our troops out of Afghanistan. I doubt the president will be able to keep our troops in Afghanistan until the end of 2014 as planned. And no matter when our forces leave, the Taliban will return to political power with a front man dressed in traditonal garb.
“The Afghans” who want us out. Who are those Afghans? I ask we examine that constituency before generalizing to the entire population and would suggest that is “the Afghans” are those who hope to control the Afghan government so it leans toward Pakistan or India or Saudi Arabia.
Easy to get ticked off and call for us to quit. Mistakes a plenty, but I hope our policy is not called by those in the streets throwing rocks and sticks following the dictates of leaders whose policies would bring more grief to the long-suffering nation.
Jill Whatever the Afghan people want, the American people are tired of seeing our troops killed there, often by their Afghan colleagues. I am sure you have seen the polls, the overwhelming majority of Americans want us out. The only important voices supporting the President’s continuing war are Senators McCain and Graham. Imagine, Obama’s old foe is his best friend on this issue.