The War in Afghanistan is a bad thing.

I find it interesting that my opponent chose to base his argument around the impact it has on only the USA, when there are other allies dying over there too. I find this direction of argument a bit selfish, and as such I shall look at the wider picture of Afghanistan itself. I shall start my argument with a brief overview of my points, then at the end I shall summarise all the facts together, with relevant sources. This should make it easier for readers to refer back to my evidence. I shall also not make comparisons with western countries, and try and keep my arguments within Islam as much as possible, to show that Afghanistan is a better contributor to Islamic culture now than before, and how since 2001 it has narrowed the gap between itself and other Muslim nations. Since the war started in late 2001 education among the young of Afghanistan has improved dramatically. They now experience a freedom of education unheard of during the Taliban years. This is not only restricted to an improvement in girls attending school, but boys have also seen the benefits of a less restrictive education system. This is in line with other Muslim countries, such as UAE, Bahrain and Qatar, who encourage higher education, even for females. It is an Islamic tradition to promote the sciences, mathematics, medicine and arts. Afghanistan before 2001 had strayed from this tradition, but is now embracing it again. Education leads to an improvement in communication, which helps promote understanding and in turn helps in relationships with neighbouring tribes. It also helps promote economic productivity, national logistics, and a stable and impartial legal system. This leads me on to my second point. Regardless of what the law is (be it western law or Islamic law), an overriding legal system, enforced impartially, helps combat the rule of the mob and personal vendettas (as seen under the Taliban). Other Muslim countries have strong legal systems, such as the system in Turkey or Lebanon, so this is not just a western attribute of society. The removal of the Taliban has allowed the creation of a more impartial police and judiciary service, which in turns allows law to be enforced equally throughout the land. Peace is far more likely when the rule of law is in place, and not controlled by the ruler of the nation. My third point covers what can happen if peace is more likely. Culture is important to any society. It helps to bind people together. Afghanistan is a tribal country, yet under the Taliban all differences in cultures were eradicated and replaced with the culture of leaders from outside Afghanistan (Bin Laden from Saudi Arabia for example). They defiled and destroyed anything that didn't match their new cultural ideal, which led to the destruction of thousands of years worth of art. Creativity in art plummeted during the rule of the Taliban, and a once proud history was almost wiped from the records. This is not an Islamic, nor a tribal regularity, as many Islamic countries have produced outstanding architecture, paintings and tapestries. Lots of tribal nations around the world have also left their artistic mark on caves and in their clothing traditions. Since 2001 tribes and citizens in Afghanistan have been free to not only retain their individuality, but also to express it. The Taliban, although being Muslim in origin, were hypocritical when it came to Islam. They preached a form of hatred and segregation to a level rarely seen by Muslim governments elsewhere. Many Muslim figureheads condemn this interpretation of Islam. Their productivity of Opium goes against Islamic values of respect for the body leant by Allah, and against the respect and love for their brothers elsewhere in the world. Since 2001, although a rise in productivity was seen in some turbulent areas for a while, a campaign against drugs has resulted in farmers turning to other crops for income. This brings Afghanistan closer to the standards expected by surrounding Muslim nations. We all know about the threat the Islamic extremists within the Taliban (especially Al Qaedas influence) posed for the international community before 2001, so I won't labour this point again, as I assume the readers will take this into consideration naturally. My point will, therefore, be from the other end of the spectrum- that of Afghanistan itself. The recruitment, training and equipping of the Afghan National Army will allow Afghanistan to better defend itself should any external or internal threats arise. With Iran to the west, and an unstable north Pakistan to the east, Afghanistan has never been in a better position to protect itself than it will be once the war ends, nor has it had such a need to do so since the Soviets invaded. This wouldn't have been possible under a sporadic Taliban military, which is why Al Qaeda held so much influence. This leads me my final point of Round One- Pakistan. As my opponent pointed out Pakistan is a nuclear power, with very little control over vast tribal areas within its borders. Many of those areas border Afghanistan. Without trying to remove the threat of extremists within Afghanistan, they would have had a base from which to train and indoctrinate recruits, and an unstable region on their doorstep (North Pakistan) in which to cause trouble.Any internal conflict in Pakistan could prove to be disastrous for the world. Removing part of that threat is a good thing, no matter how little a threat it was. I do not understand the logic of my opponent who fears a takeover of extremists, when in 2000 Afghanistan was run by extremists anyway. This simply points to the war being a good thing. My argument in Round One is that since 2001 conditions for the Afghan people have improved, either in education, healthcare, sanitation, economics or technology. They now have an opportunity to be a proud Islamic Republic, catch up with other Muslim nations on many issues and regain their identity. This was not possible under the Taliban, but it is possible now. Facts: •54% of Afghans say they are more prosperous now than in 2001. •Those without access to electricity form only 33% of the population, which is an improvement on the previous 42%. •In 2000 only 35% of the population was immunised against Measles. Now it stands at 70%. •Literacy rates have improved to 52%, up from a previous 37% •In Helmand there are now 93 schools, an improvement from a previous 34. •52% of children are enrolled in schools, up from 37%. Around one million in 2001 (none of whom were girls) to over six million today, one third (or over two million) of whom are girls. •A significant increase in the availability of basic health services, which were available to less than 10 per cent of the population under the former Taliban regime, but are now extended to around 85 per cent of people. •The identification and management of over 39,000 community-based infrastructureprojects - such as wells, clinics and roads – in over 22,000 communities throughout Afghanistan, through the Afghan-led National Solidarity Program. •The rehabilitation of almost 10,000 km of rural roads, supporting the employment of hundreds of thousands of local workers, through the National Rural Access Program. •The telecommunications industry has created about 100,000 jobs since 2001 •10 million Afghans today have access to telecommunications, compared to only 20,000 in 2001. •The Taliban suppressed free speech. Afghan people now have access to over 400 print media publications, 150 FM radio stations and 26 television channels. These give Afghans an outlet to discuss publicly issues that were previously off-limits, such as human rights abuses and women's rights. http://news.bbc.co.uk... http://www.defence.gov.au... http://www.rawa.org... http://www.bbc.co.uk... http://www.afghan-web.com...