The Road to Damascus - via Kabul

This article is an extraordinary tale - not because it supports the popular viewpoint and cleaves to the left's "party line" that America should "withdraw from Afganistan" - but because it doesn't.   It is the frank disclosure of an ideological rift within a powerful radical feminist group in the US called Code Pink - with close ties to Democratic President Barrack Obama - who have been heavily campaigning for America to withdraw their military from Afghanistan.

Among the interesting titbits learned:

• Code Pink has never actually asked Afgani Women what they want, until this trip in Dec 2009.
• Code Pink has never actually visited the country to observe first-hand events that have taken place.
• Code Pink leader, Jodie EVANS (show in pink shirt) exhibits a number of remarkable conceits, with one prominent female board member who dressed in wholly inappropriate (considering the cultural modesty required of women in Afghanistan), and highly visible brightly coloured clothing (ideal for Taliban target practice) admits "not being able to take direction well".
• Code Pink is shocked to find 90% of women (and 70% of men) are illiterate and that they treasure the NGO's that teach reading and writing. Afgani women begged Code Pink visitors not to lobby for withdrawal of the military as it would no longer be safe for them to walk anywhere.
• Only Kabul is barely secure. In the country the Taliban reign and have established an effective grass-root government in all small villages and towns.
• Canadian Norine MacDonald describes the huge restless demographic of young men aged 15-20 who just want to build a "Love Shack" and get married.   A program for them - would she believes - reduce the probability of successful Talib recruitment. (This appears to be an "reverse Lysistrata" policy!) 
• There are no simple answers.

Other Canadian resources - http://www.cw4wafghan.ca

[Sara DAVIDSON has a long writing career and has recently published a book about how to embrace change late in one's life called "Leap".]