Word: afghanistans
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...With troops still on the ground and uncertainty still in the air, war in Iraq presses on with no end in sight and a daily price tag well into the millions. And now, President Obama is preparing to ramp up the “good war” in Afghanistan. The United States hasn’t won a ground war in over half a century, and now one of the smartest presidents in modern American history thinks he can win two of them. One struggles in vain to find the logic in this lunacy...
...wanted to prove that a woman from Herat could sing," says Tarana, adjusting her trademark stylish rectangular glasses. "Now that I have been elected to the provincial council, I will prove to people that a lady who can sing can be in politics as well." (See pictures of Afghanistan's TV election...
...despite the darkening state of affairs, a few bright sparks remain. Local elections for Afghanistan's 34 provincial councils, which have been all but overshadowed by the presidential race, have produced results that prove that Afghans not only wholeheartedly support the idea of democracy, but also that they are far more liberal and progressive than the rest of the world might suspect. Tarana, dressed in slim black trousers under a tight black coat accented with a flashy silver headscarf, compares herself with her bearded, conservative predecessors on the council. "Afghans are not like what you hear from other countries, that...
...presidential race, the provincial council elections have also been tainted by allegations of fraud. Still, Tarana is one of scores of young Afghans who are entering politics for the first time. Their energy, enthusiasm and youthful idealism, if channeled correctly, may yet be the impetus for the substantial changes Afghanistan will have to go through before it can develop into a stable democracy that operates under the rule of law. "In provinces throughout Afghanistan, hundreds of youths nominated themselves for provincial councils," says Sanjar Sohail, editor of the newspaper Eight in the Morning. "What does this mean? That the generation...
Still, it's a slim hope. Provincial councils have little real power in Afghanistan, as they serve more as advisory boards than legislative or budgeting organs. Tarana admits that she will be able to achieve little lasting change on the Kabul council but points out that by simply serving in the public realm, she will be making a difference. "I first started thinking about politics when I was having so many problems on Afghan Star. No one in government supported me, and those in power condemned me. Now I can be supportive of youth who are willing to rise...