War Is Boring

World Politics Review: Afghan War Demands More Civilians

01.11.09

Categorie: Afghanistan, Axe in Afghanistan '09, COIN, David Axe, Medical, Relief |

by DAVID AXE

In March, ordnance exploded on a home in Kapisa province, in northeast Afghanistan. One child died. Another, 6-year-old Razia, was badly burned. When Aziz, her father, took her in his arms, Razia’s scalp came away in his hands.

In early interviews, Aziz blamed the explosion on the U.S.-led coalition. U.S. Air Force officers said the ordnance might have been white phosphorous, a specialized incendiary that the Taliban is unlikely to possess. Later, Aziz claimed the Taliban had, in fact, fired rockets on his home.

Regardless of who actually caused Razia’s injuries, it was the Americans that evacuated her to the Air Force-run trauma hospital in Bagram, outside Kabul, where she received skin grafts. Today, she is badly scarred but in overall good health. During World Politics Review‘s visit to Bagram, Razia walked the hospital hallways, a quiet presence among the bustling nurses she said were her best friends.

Razia’s case is extreme, and has attracted a great deal of media attention. Most Afghans do not have access to such lavish assistance. And even Razia’s family is about to discover that American generosity has limits. For Aziz, time spent overseeing Razia’s care in Bagram meant time not working. He said he has worked in the past as a shopkeeper and even as a driver — until Taliban fighters burned his car. In an interview with World Politics Review, Aziz asked who would help him provide for his wife and other surviving children, back home in Kapisa.

If Aziz receives additional assistance, it probably won’t be from American soldiers and airmen, who have already done everything they can realistically do. Aziz’s struggle reflects an imbalance in international efforts to secure and rebuild Afghanistan. The high level of military activity has not been matched by aid groups and government civilians. As a result, Afghanistan still struggles with a lack of social services, jobs and medical care — and that could undermine the military strategy, according to senior officers.

Read the rest at World Politics Review.

(Photo: David Axe)

David M says:

November 2, 2009 at 12:30 pm

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 11/02/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.