$32 BN Afghan GDP vs. $145 BN US War-On-Terror Budget
According to "Afghanistan Online" (http://www.afghan-web.com/):
- Every 30 minutes, an Afghan woman dies during childbirth
- 87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate
- 30 percent of girls have access to education in Afghanistan
- 1 in every 3 Afghan women experience physical, psychological or sexual violence
- 44 years is the average life expectancy rate for women in Afghanistan
- 70 to 80 percent of women face forced marriages in Afghanistan
Infant mortality rate:
- Total: 160.23 deaths/1,000 live births
- Male: 164.77 deaths/1,000 live births
- Female: 155.45 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
- Total population: 43.34 years
- Male: 43.16 years
- Female: 43.53 years
* * *
Recently, some Japanese TV news programs focused on the renewed rise of Taliban and production of opium in Afghanistan where local lives got deteriorated after the forced collapse of the Taliban regime, though its capital Kabul seems to enjoy some Western culture, good or bad.
According to information on Afghanistan provided by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime:
- The total plant area of poppies is 165,000 hectare or 407,715 acres in 2006.
- The total production of opium in 2006 is 6,100 tons (one and half times larger than in 2005; accounting for 92% of the world opium production).
- 6 states (in the south) among 34 states of Afghanistan have no regulation on opium.
- The price per kilograms is 576 dollars in January 2003; 146 dollars in April 2006.
And, although there are 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., there are, in a sense, only 11 million work forces in Afghanistan, but "as much as one-third of Afghanistan's GDP ($32.4 billion) comes from growing poppy and illicit drugs including opium and its two derivatives, morphine and heroin, as well as hashish production (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan)."
* * *
"Those who have hidden and accommodated terrorists should be equally attacked" might be a big mistake.
"Those who have hidden and accommodated terrorists should contact the U.S. Government for more lucrative deals than they had cut with terrorists" should have been a right approach.
In fact, it is well known that Al-Qaeda spent big money to win Taliban's favor.
Al-Qaeda and Taliban did not share the same view on the world and the United States. In reality, Taliban started to negotiate with the U.S. for dismissing Al-Qaeda, banning poppy farming, and launching a big oil pipeline project before the summer in 2001.
However, by having demolished the large statutes of Buddha in Bamiyan early in 2001, Taliban lost sympathy and support from other countries, especially Asian countries including Japan.
It might have been inevitable that the U.S. started the military campaign in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror; indeed, it seems to have succeeded in stopping another terror on the U.S. that is operated from a terrorist base in Afghanistan.
The U.S. did not start the military campaign in Afghanistan in order to make Afghanistan rich, but would it be a nice result that they have now more poor farmers and more opium production in Afghanistan than ever, though Al-Qaeda seems to have lost its intention and capability to launch another attack on the U.S. from Afghanistan?
We cannot judge it. But, American citizens have actually decided to support the approach of "not minding poor and opium-contaminated Afghan people but just minding destruction of Al-Qaeda's bases in Afghanistan."
Only the God will judge righteousness in the decision of US citizens through history, especially, in near future.
* * *
When Herman Melville wrote "Moby Dick" in 1851, the first Anglo-Afghan War finished, but the war was to be repeated twice more until 1919.
Then the U.S. got involved behind the scenes in the Afghan Holy War against the Soviet Union. The U.S. funded and trained anti-government and anti-communist Muslims.
In the wake of 9/11 terror, the U.S. opted for military solution to deal with Al-Qaeda. The Taliban regimes collapsed, but the fact is that the most of Taliban soldiers just returned to their homes in local poor villages in this US-Afghan War still unsettled.
There is a following proverb in Japan:
"Hotoke no kao mo san do"
Literal: Buddha's face too three times.
Meaning: To try the patience of a saint, even a Buddha's face will loose it's composure if asked something too many times.
Afghanistan, in the east of nuclear-oriented Iran and in the west of nuclear-equipped Pakistan and India, might face a decisive situation in the form of its fourth War unless things are settled and fixed well by a super hero such as Alexander the Great.
* * *
In ancient days, namely even before Abraham left Ur, Mesopotamia and Indus Valleys had a commercial tie.
Ideally, oil rich Iraq and Iran should peacefully tie up with regional leading economy India as well as their Islamic friend Pakistan through Afghanistan.
If the current situations in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India lead to this ideal alliance in near future, the current US involvement in this South West Asia may be justified and appreciated.
Or, the current US involvement in this South West Asia must be aimed at helping achieve the ideal peaceful alliance among Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
* * *
As Afghan GDP is 32 billion dollars (one third of which is from opium business) and US budget on the War on Terror is 145 billion dollars for FY 2008, it would not be difficult for the U.S. to double the wealth of Afghanistan and thus eradicate opium in and terror influence on the apocalyptic country.
Finally I hope the best and brightest among US citizens will tackle the challenge to save poor women, children, and farmers in Afghanistan.
Otherwise, another Ishmael out of the Melville's prophecy, instead of another Alexander the Great, might exploit the situation in the war-torn region.
(US Presidential Elections, bloody wars in Afghanistan, and descendants of Ishmael, namely Arabs, have been really intertwined to have resulted in the 9/11 terror and also result in budgetary appropriation problems in the U.S.
And the 9/11 terror may be now resulting in this EEE-Report as part of another prophecy at a higher level or in a larger scale, one factor of which may be you according to God's plan so holy and merciful.)
"I Chose a Valuable Stone, Which I Am Placing as the Corner Stone in Zion"
- Male: 164.77 deaths/1,000 live births
- Female: 155.45 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
- Total population: 43.34 years
- Male: 43.16 years
- Female: 43.53 years
* * *
Recently, some Japanese TV news programs focused on the renewed rise of Taliban and production of opium in Afghanistan where local lives got deteriorated after the forced collapse of the Taliban regime, though its capital Kabul seems to enjoy some Western culture, good or bad.
According to information on Afghanistan provided by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime:
- The total plant area of poppies is 165,000 hectare or 407,715 acres in 2006.
- The total production of opium in 2006 is 6,100 tons (one and half times larger than in 2005; accounting for 92% of the world opium production).
- 6 states (in the south) among 34 states of Afghanistan have no regulation on opium.
- The price per kilograms is 576 dollars in January 2003; 146 dollars in April 2006.
And, although there are 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., there are, in a sense, only 11 million work forces in Afghanistan, but "as much as one-third of Afghanistan's GDP ($32.4 billion) comes from growing poppy and illicit drugs including opium and its two derivatives, morphine and heroin, as well as hashish production (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan)."
* * *
"Those who have hidden and accommodated terrorists should be equally attacked" might be a big mistake.
"Those who have hidden and accommodated terrorists should contact the U.S. Government for more lucrative deals than they had cut with terrorists" should have been a right approach.
In fact, it is well known that Al-Qaeda spent big money to win Taliban's favor.
Al-Qaeda and Taliban did not share the same view on the world and the United States. In reality, Taliban started to negotiate with the U.S. for dismissing Al-Qaeda, banning poppy farming, and launching a big oil pipeline project before the summer in 2001.
However, by having demolished the large statutes of Buddha in Bamiyan early in 2001, Taliban lost sympathy and support from other countries, especially Asian countries including Japan.
It might have been inevitable that the U.S. started the military campaign in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror; indeed, it seems to have succeeded in stopping another terror on the U.S. that is operated from a terrorist base in Afghanistan.
The U.S. did not start the military campaign in Afghanistan in order to make Afghanistan rich, but would it be a nice result that they have now more poor farmers and more opium production in Afghanistan than ever, though Al-Qaeda seems to have lost its intention and capability to launch another attack on the U.S. from Afghanistan?
We cannot judge it. But, American citizens have actually decided to support the approach of "not minding poor and opium-contaminated Afghan people but just minding destruction of Al-Qaeda's bases in Afghanistan."
Only the God will judge righteousness in the decision of US citizens through history, especially, in near future.
* * *
When Herman Melville wrote "Moby Dick" in 1851, the first Anglo-Afghan War finished, but the war was to be repeated twice more until 1919.
Then the U.S. got involved behind the scenes in the Afghan Holy War against the Soviet Union. The U.S. funded and trained anti-government and anti-communist Muslims.
In the wake of 9/11 terror, the U.S. opted for military solution to deal with Al-Qaeda. The Taliban regimes collapsed, but the fact is that the most of Taliban soldiers just returned to their homes in local poor villages in this US-Afghan War still unsettled.
There is a following proverb in Japan:
"Hotoke no kao mo san do"
Literal: Buddha's face too three times.
Meaning: To try the patience of a saint, even a Buddha's face will loose it's composure if asked something too many times.
Afghanistan, in the east of nuclear-oriented Iran and in the west of nuclear-equipped Pakistan and India, might face a decisive situation in the form of its fourth War unless things are settled and fixed well by a super hero such as Alexander the Great.
* * *
In ancient days, namely even before Abraham left Ur, Mesopotamia and Indus Valleys had a commercial tie.
Ideally, oil rich Iraq and Iran should peacefully tie up with regional leading economy India as well as their Islamic friend Pakistan through Afghanistan.
If the current situations in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India lead to this ideal alliance in near future, the current US involvement in this South West Asia may be justified and appreciated.
Or, the current US involvement in this South West Asia must be aimed at helping achieve the ideal peaceful alliance among Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
* * *
As Afghan GDP is 32 billion dollars (one third of which is from opium business) and US budget on the War on Terror is 145 billion dollars for FY 2008, it would not be difficult for the U.S. to double the wealth of Afghanistan and thus eradicate opium in and terror influence on the apocalyptic country.
Finally I hope the best and brightest among US citizens will tackle the challenge to save poor women, children, and farmers in Afghanistan.
Otherwise, another Ishmael out of the Melville's prophecy, instead of another Alexander the Great, might exploit the situation in the war-torn region.
(US Presidential Elections, bloody wars in Afghanistan, and descendants of Ishmael, namely Arabs, have been really intertwined to have resulted in the 9/11 terror and also result in budgetary appropriation problems in the U.S.
And the 9/11 terror may be now resulting in this EEE-Report as part of another prophecy at a higher level or in a larger scale, one factor of which may be you according to God's plan so holy and merciful.)
"I Chose a Valuable Stone, Which I Am Placing as the Corner Stone in Zion"