The regional scene is rife with ever-breaking news about happenings in Afghanistan and of course about their impact on life and politics in Pakistan. I sat musing on this one afternoon and dozed off. I suddenly found myself in a room in which some people appeared to be engaged in a meeting.
Strangely, the participants were unaware of my presence though I could hear every word they were saying. As the meeting progressed I could gather that somewhere in America, a Senate Committee of the US was interviewing a young Marine presently in America on leave from active combat duty in Afghanistan. I was fascinated by the discussion during which I continued to be an unseen and unnoticed observer. A noise in real life in the neighbourhood suddenly woke me up and I hastened to put down what I had heard of the discussion, which appeared to have left a clear imprint on my faculties. The result is as follows:
Senate Committee Chairman (in a gentle soothing tone, sensing a tense next hour on his hands): Well son, I see that you have been performing active combat duty in Afghanistan for the best part of two years now. Any thoughts on the experience you would like to share with us?
Marine: Well, if you please, sir, as a soldier I am not expected to think but to obey orders unquestioningly and unhesitatingly. Chairman: We appreciate your dutiful sentiment and high sense of discipline. But son, this is a purely civilian forum and no one is in uniform here as you can see, including your self.
The idea of this meeting, with the knowledge and permission of your High Command, is for the Senate to get at first hand an informal feel of how our brave soldiers in the first line of combat in a difficult war - especially young ones like you on their first combat mission abroad - think about the war they are in, a war in which they face constant danger to life and limb, day in and day out.
Marine: Thank you, sir. I really appreciate your concern for what I and my comrades think. But would you make life a little easier for me by asking specific questions. That will be simpler for me to deal with. (With a little laugh) I am no philosopher, if you know what I mean!
Chairman: (With a good laugh, other members of the Senate Committee joining in, which relaxes the atmosphere): Fair enough, son, and well said! Tell us, for instance, as you wake up each morning in your tent or bunker what are the thoughts likely to be uppermost in your mind.
Marine (Reflecting): Well, sir, in the first place it was probably a fitful and disturbed sleep as it is most nights. (Pause, as the young man is lost in reverie thinking on the dangers experienced that have come crowding back again into consciousness).
Chairman: (Encouraging): Yes, please go on! You are among friends.
Marine: (Reflecting): Well, our immediate thoughts on many mornings would be on our convoy that would take us that day into deep enemy territory. The upper most thought in our minds would be if we would be able to complete the trip without running into a home made bomb, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) as it is called and without losing a limb or two in the horribly painful aftermath of the blast or loosing our life itself. This last (loss of life) would appear to be the preferred result in many cases compared to the wounds IEDs can cause. The explosion itself is in a class by itself as another dreaded happening. Looking forward to that sudden, unexpected blast would probably be more agonising and tantalising at first than the wounds resulting from the blast! (Pause again, as the young Marine takes a deep breath, making a brave effort to recover from painful recollections).
Chairman (Breaking the silence every one has fallen into): We understand son, at least we are trying to. Please continue.
Marine: (Pulling himself together but still on the same theme) You may not believe it, sir, but waiting in unbearable suspense for the explosion that can occur suddenly at any time, can be such an excruciating experience that when an actual IED explodes, it brings, before anything else, an immediate feeling of immense relief that the worst was over for now. The pain and hurt the explosion causes, comes not immediately but only after the strange euphoria, that follows the blast has run its 5 or 10 seconds long course. (Changing his tone, into one of courage and defiance) Let me make it clear however, sir, that this is no complaint. I am telling it to you like it is. Just as you appear to want it told! When I voluntarily enlisted the Force I fully understood that risk to life and limb and long separations from friends and family would be involved. I fully understood what I was doing. As I said before it is not my privilege to question the wisdom of policy and decisions of my superiors who are no doubt much better equipped to do the correct thing. As a soldier my duty is to obey and carry out orders come hell or high water. And I am satisfied doing just that despite having my own views.
Chairman (Sadly, feeling the pain): Well spoken, like a brave American! Tell me. Do you get quick and satisfactory medical attention, although I realise that "quick" could be very late and even too late!
Marine (Eagerly, highly appreciative of US Army Medics): Oh yes, sir. Our brave medics are not far behind the scene of action and face almost as much danger as we do. They immediately get busy and try to save as many lives as possible and to bring as much relief as quickly as possible to the wounded.
Chairman (Expressing satisfaction): Well, I am glad to hear that though I would expect no less from our brave Medical teams.
Marine (Dilating on the subject): They have a very difficult task on their hands when dealing with casualties resulting from roadside bombs. The wounds so caused are in a class by themselves in terms of the hurt they cause as well as in terms of the difficulty faced by the Medics and surgeons in dealing with them. Every combatant nurses a deep desire - in case he is hit - to be hit by gunshot rather than by an IED!
Senate Committee Chairman: (Somewhat puzzled): I am afraid I do not understand. Would you kindly explain that?
Marine (Explaining): You see, a gun shot wound is a "clean" wound. A bullet enters the body at some point and either lodges somewhere in the body or makes a complete exit from it. Unless a vital part is hit, the chances of survival are good. The surgeons are faced with a situation which is usually easy to deal with. When an IED explodes, on the other hand, iron and steel pieces of various sizes and odd shapes can enter your body in their scores, inflicting wounds of all shapes, sizes and depths. Apart from the hurt they cause, the wounds are a nightmare for the surgeons as well who must quickly cut through healthy tissue and bones at many, many places to reach and pluck out bits of steel and then sew the body together as best as possible.
Senate Committee Chairman (Thoughtful and worried): Do you think intelligence should play a more effective part in detecting the sites where these bombs are made and shutting them up for good and finding and defusing bombs already made and hoarded at various places, before they are able to cause any damage or better still finding the groups involved and eliminating them?
Marine (Explaining): I do not know much about how intelligence works but common sense tells me that success through better intelligence in the matter would be possible only if they had many friends among ordinary Afghans.
Senate Committee Chairman: (Taken aback, trying to understand): I was under the impression that the common man in Afghanistan sees us as liberators and it is only the fear of Taliban which keeps him from coming to us openly. Marine (With a sad smile as if saying how little you know about the situation): You see, people cannot help comparing the brief period they were under the Taliban with the situation now and ....
Senate Committee Chairman (Deeply interested): And? Yes .......?
Marine: (Explaining): I learn from many Afghan colleagues in this war (the Afghan National Army men) that during their brief rule (which we ended) the Taliban government had achieved two things which in recent history no one was able to: they had stopped poppy cultivation entirely and they had eliminated the warlords in the sense that they could no longer extort money and enforce their own writ in areas surrounding their home ground. What a boon that was for the common Afghan people in respect of security and prevention of heroin addiction! (Pauses for breath). I understand western experts on Afghanistan, including American specialists on Afghanistan acknowledge this but generally keep the fact under wraps or make only a muted reference to it when they have to.
Senate Committee Chairman: And now? Marine: And now, sir, the situation is back to what it was before. Poppy is grown every where. That does not appear to bother us - at least we do not try to stop it - and the war lords are back again. In fact the Karzai government rules only by arrangement with them.
Senate Committee Chairman (All quiet, not knowing what to say): Marine (Warming up to the subject): As you may be aware, sir, Afghans can only grow opium. Making heroin from the poppy flower is for the highly skilled specialists with PhDs skills in Chemistry and they would need a modern chemical laboratory facility for the purpose. This is far beyond Afghan capability. Actual conversion of poppy to heroin is the privilege of scientists from countries, including, specially America. So the problem is not confined to Afghan people.
Senate Committee Chairman (Rather nonplussed, moving on to new ground): We understand the Taliban are financing their resistance through the sale of poppy. This is a matter of major concern for us. As you are aware America is one of the worst sufferers from heroin addiction of a growing number of its people, especially the younger generation. It abets lawlessness and crime. Do you agree that in that respects, the Taliban are our enemies?
Marine (Pulling himself together but still on the same theme): Well, Sir I don't blame them! What do you expect? Afghans have an inborn abhorrence for outside interference in their affairs especially if it takes the form of an armed invasion. They would use whatever means they can muster to help with their struggle which they see as war of liberation. Taliban themselves personally abhor drugs and consider its use as a drug to be sinful.
Senate Committee Chairman (Unbelieving, not quite pleased with the answer): Oh? Is that so? Marine (Emphatically): Oh, yes, sir, believe you me! Left to themselves, the Taliban would eliminate poppy cultivation once again. It is our presence in Afghanistan in a state of war with them that prevents this happening.
(To be continued) (owajid@yahoo.com)