Afghan resistance grows

Cold comes early to the villages of the Alingar district in Laghman province in Afghanistan. To heat their houses and cook their food, mothers and daughters go out on well-known paths before dawn to find firewood and carry it home. They have done it many times before and would do it many times after.

But on Sept. 16, they did not come back. NATO told CNN that, from thousands of feet in the air, perhaps even from satellites, “a large group of insurgents” were targeted. The women and children were attacked “with precision munitions and direct fire” from NATO jets.

Horrified villagers raced to the scene. They found at least eight women and children killed and seven more wounded. They brought the injured to a nearby hospital and the dead to local Afghan officials. At first, NATO denied involvement, but soon was forced to change its story. NATO “offers its sincerest regrets to the families.” (CNN, Sept. 16)

The U.S., along with other NATO countries, has occupied Afghanistan for 11 years. For all that time, instead of ending resistance, the military has only managed to create wave after wave of hatred and anger at their presence.

Sometimes the anger seems to be vented individually. Four U.S. occupation troops were killed on that same day by Afghan police. This has happened so often it is called a “green on blue attack.” This brings the total of deaths of NATO-sponsored military and police to more than 50 from such attacks — most of them U.S. forces.

On Sept. 14, exhibiting the resistance’s growing organization, some 15 Afghan resistance fighters, wearing stolen U.S. uniforms, invaded Camp Bastion in Helmand province. Despite the built-up security because Britain’s Prince Harry is stationed there as a helicopter pilot, the fighters were able to destroy six Harrier jets, each costing $25 million, and six refueling stations, while damaging six hangers.

Fourteen of the fighters were killed, and one was wounded and captured, NATO claims. Eight NATO soldiers and one contractor were wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. A Taliban spokesperson said the attack was in response to the anti-Islam film that has raised the ire of people across the Middle East and beyond.

Perhaps so. But it is occupation by foreign troops that obviously stokes the fire of resistance. Washington and the rest of NATO have failed to break this resistance. It has only grown stronger.

The war in Afghanistan benefits not one worker in the United States. This failed conquest of a poor country is only for the sake of the billionaires and their minions in government who have created so much misery here. It is long past time that it is stopped and the troops brought home.