Paper Summary:

This paper gives a general account of America's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, focusing on the goals and dangers of a US presence in these nations. The author gives a background to the ethnic and religious conflict in Iraq, then describes the current conditions and government structure in Afghanistan. The author emphasizes that Afghanistan's extreme Islamic rule makes it difficult for the US to expect to normalize relations with this troubled nation. It is further stated that Democracy and human rights in Afghanistan, according to the Western concept and understanding, might not be feasible or possible in the short term. The author concludes that the primary purpose of an American presence in Afghanistan is the destruction of al Qaeda.

From the Paper:

"Anti-American violence has been increasing (Yaphe 2004). The imminent civil war is not likely to be between the Sunnis and the Shi'a, or between the Arabs and the Kurds. The clashes in many parts of the country were clearly a series of planned and coordinated attacks on US forces and civilians working on the reconstruction plan. The civil war is seen as likelier between religious extremists Sunni and Shi'a. Iraq is made up of 60% Shi'a Arab, 20% Sunni Arab and 20% Kurd. Sunni and Shi'a Arabs stand for Iraqi nationalism and want to maintain the country's political and territorial integrity according to the 1920 San Remo Treaty and the 1932 Treaty of Independence. And the Iraqi Kurds want to be part of Iraq only at the moment and their reluctance towards permanent status is a clear impediment to constitutional and territorial concessions. The second condition, which must be handled, surrounds the fate of transitional governance. Its nature, selection, and who would serve the cabinet posts were the points of dispute between the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqis. The Governing Council apparently preempted UN-US efforts to form the new interim government by choosing a new president, two deputy presidents and a prime minister. Elections would not ensure perfect democratic governance or a pro-American government, but should reflect the consensus of the majority of the Iraqi people. What it took Britain to achieve a truly representative government after 900 years and the United States more than 225 years and a civil war has been made the goal for the Iraqis in only a year. And the third condition brings out the Governing Council's lack of legitimacy and the still undefined nature of political institutions. These issues cannot be resolved soon. The US needs to pass on real and transparent decision-making power on to the Iraqis (Yaphe)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Current Events. The Most Dangerous Place on Earth. Weekly Reader Corporation, 2001
• Maloney, Sean M. Afghanistan: from Here to Eternity. Parameters: US Army War College, 2004
• Shea, Nina. Sharia in Kabul? National Review: National Review, Inc., 2002
• Veneman, Ann M. Can America Pull Off a Triple Play? USA Today: Society for the Advancement of Education, 2004
• Van Cott, Donna Lee. A Political Analysis of Legal Pluralism in Bolivia and Colombia. Volume 32. Journal of Latin American Studies: Cambridge University Press, 2000. 207

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