While the images on TV of former Iraqi soldiers walking back homeward in droves can be quite moving, it made me think about their future, and where we all will be 6 months from now. And also about the last war we had (or are having) over in Afghanistan. I was actually in the midst of spending several hours this morning attempting to find on-line info on what's happening in Afghanistan. Sure, the TV and NY Times give the bits of news on the fighting, but not much on what the current living situation is like for the Afghani people. I have yet to find anything on that topic, but did stumble upon a thought-provoking analysis on The Forgotten War - which accepts the premise that a continued presence of US military in Afghanistan is a "good thing" but does thoughtfully question and evaluate our strategy and tactics there at this point in time. (I found it via an on-line Asian news outlet, and the rest of the site, Foreign Policy In Focus , looks quite interesting, as well). Which, by the way, are the sorts of things we need to be thinking about in our current war and its aftermath. But maybe the oil riches of Iraq make it too different a case-study, as the economic interests there are so greatly more interesting to the world that the investment $$$ may well pour in to take advantage of Iraq's oil-riches, whereas I can't name any economic reason why the world should care about Afghanistan.
And I'm also wondering about the women in Iraq. I haven't seen many of them dancing in the streets. And I don't mean that just as a snotty remark, I am honestly wondering why that is.