Foreign election causing a local uproar

Once again The Seattle Times has gone awry with “Karzai’s election: Worth dying for?” [Opinion, editorial, Nov. 7].

The war in Afghanistan was a United Nations-sanctioned action to remove the Taliban and capture Osama bin Laden.

To now say that the mandate was to turn Afghanistan into a republican or democratic society is wrong.

If anyone thinks Afghans will embrace a Western-style government, they are naive. Afghanistan is a complex society where history, tribalism, religion and agricultural opium are players. Check a little history about England and the Soviet Union, and their failures in Afghanistan.

Bush abandoned Afghanistan in favor of Iraq. A huge mistake that we all have to live with.

We have put Pakistan to the test by forcing the Taliban into their territory. A stable Pakistan is good for the U.S. and India.

President Obama’s decision to send more troops should be based on the ability to achieve the stated goals, i.e. to severely cripple the Taliban and capture bin Laden.

Obama now must consider how Pakistan will be affected by his decision, and Karzai’s election is not a major factor.

— Ron Zier, Kenmore

Response to Ellen Goodman

Ellen Goodman’s syndicated column on Afghanistan is brilliant in the way it lays out the issues [“Afghanistan’s shallow respect for democracy — and women,” Opinion, Nov. 7]. It gave voice to women who know something about Afghanistan, instead of the usual think-tank arrogance.

We have been told the only choice is between the fundamentalism of Karzai’s supporters and the more disciplined fundamentalism of the Taliban. Either way, the main source of violence in Afghanistan is by men against women.

This choice between two fundamentals is false.

Women should be the focus of any aid and political support we give to Afghanistan. There is a third force in Afghanistan, largely ignored by the media, and it is democracy. To support Karzai will only lead to continued failure.

We need to have a national conversation that tries to figure out how to build and protect justice for Afghan women. The first essential step is for our media to give Afghan women the opportunity to speak to Americans about what they want.

Is it possible that Afghans are wise enough to solve their own problems? I think so.

— Bill Distler, Bellingham