Study: Few Afghans know about 9/11, reason for war

Study: Few Afghans know about 9/11, reason for war

www.msnbc.msn.com

Afghans in two crucial southern provinces are almost completely unaware of the September 11 attacks on the United States and don't know they precipitated the foreign intervention now in its 10th year, a new report showed on Friday.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The report by The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) policy think-tank showed 92 percent of 1,000 Afghan men surveyed in Helmand and Kandahar know nothing of the hijacked airliner attacks on U.S. targets in 2001.

Wow.

So get this straight. Almost everyone in this place where US has been waging war for the last ten years have no idea why we're doing it. So to them this is an entirely unprovoked attack. Considering Most Americans believe Saddam was involved in 9/11 how can one blame people who live in mountains without electricity.

A new Newsweek poll out this weekend exposed "gaps" in America's knowledge of history and current events. Perhaps most alarmingly, 41% of Americans answered 'Yes' to the question "Do you think Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq was directly involved in planning, financing, or carrying out the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001?" That total is actually up 5 points since September 2004.

atlanticreview.org...

www.msnbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

...thats ridiculous but typical of the crap thats called journalism nowadays...

...second line...

...and one more thing...

...about those polls - they get responses from 1000 or so people and then push the lie that those idiots are a valid representation of the populace... sometimes, a fantasy is all you need...

reply to post by Sheol


Few Americans know the reason for the Afghan war either. For those who don't know, the war was to supply for-profit defense companies with more profitable contracts. And at the same time, US oil & mining companies saw an opportunity to plunder their national resources. Gee.... all the Afghan people would be so happy if they knew the reason behind the invasion.

Of course the STATED reason for the war was because Afghanistan did not hand over Osama Bin Ladin after they agreed to do so only after they saw evidence of the involvement. I remember that like it was yesterday.

US government to Afghanistan: Hi, hand over Bin Ladin now.
Afghanistan Government: Maybe we will... present the evidence of his involvement of the 9/11 attacks.
US government to Afghanistan: No... prepare to be destroyed.

Oh yes, if they only knew all the facts. I'm not going to pretend I'd like to be governed by the Taliban but the Republicans and Democrats are not much of a step up at all. Personally I wouldn't even ask for directions from a local police officer out of fear of ending up in jail... that based on my last experience asking a cop for help. So personally I'm not impressed with either the tyrannical Taliban or my US tyrannical government.

I do remember though in 1998 the Taliban went around blowing up religious monuments and the US government did exactly NOTHING about it. Which is probably good because the only thing they know how to do is make things worse.

reply to post by civilchallenger


I posted the same thread in the 9/11 section and in response to your comment, yes I remember that aswell, you analogy is a bit simplistic but it captures the spirit of the event,

Hand him over
We will if you present evidence
No, instead we will bomb you.

It's just like the Bill Hicks Shane joke : www.youtube.com... - the US, bullies of the world.

Is it me or it is much worse than even say 6 months ago what with the TSA thing blowing up so much just recently.

reply to post by yyyyyyyyyy


jsut adding I just read and then remembered that the attack against Afghanistan plan approved before the 9/11 attack, important to remember too.

98% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
I don't buy that crap for a second.

Originally posted by Wyn Hawks
...about those polls - they get responses from 1000 or so people and then push the lie that those idiots are a valid representation of the populace... sometimes, a fantasy is all you need...

The article doesn't say anyone is claiming they represent the populace overall. Just a couple of taliban strongholds.

I don't find this that hard to believe because let's face it, they don't have the internet in the rural parts of Afghanistan, except perhaps in very isolated cases. So who knows where they get their information from?

The question I have is, if they don't know 9/11 is the reason the troops are there, what do they think the reason is?

The article doesn't answer that question. But I'd love to know.

reply to post by Arbitrageur

The question I have is, if they don't know 9/11 is the reason the troops are there, what do they think the reason is?

Answer: to guard the poppy fields that have been hugely productive since the Taliban is no longer in charge. Funding black ops the world over since 2001.
Edit: Actually since 1982, or earlier possibly, with coc aine. The crack epidemic, "Freeway" Ricky Ross, CIA involvement etc, Gary Webb suicided two bullets to the head: Dark Alliance CIA involved in trafficking

Keywords from the OP's link. "Barack Obama, who will review his Afghanistan war strategy next month, wants to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from July 2011" Next month?? it should be every moment don't you think? who writes this stuff? Bay of pigs, okay I will review it next month, awight!

reply to post by Sheol


Are you suggesting it was provoked?

ZZZZ

And you don't live in mountains, you have a computer, probably a laptop 360 with wireless controllers

reply to post by Sheol


That because their extremist form of islam enslaves people & prevents them from staying touch with the real world! Make that twice the oppression if you are a woman wanting an education or want to stay informed. Terrorism really!

Its pretty hard to stay informed when you and everyone you know is most likely illiterate (save perhaps memorization of the Koran), and you have no institutional memory of a functioning central government.

Ask them who Karzi is and I bet they wouldn't know either.

Heck, ask them what country they live in. Or what year it is.

It may sound crass, but I've been there. I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything, but its the truth. They know what they need to know to survive in their valley. What happens in the next valley doesn't really concern them.

Truth is, a lot of Afghans don't even know we're there.

There are probably some Americans in the world who don't know we're there either.

Depends on the availability of information, and how much you care to seek out that information.

reply to post by Sheol


Dear Sheol

I have news for you, we who come from the West don’t know either.

Oh yes you have your official lies sure, but you more than likely have no idea of the real reason.

However I will tell you one thing for sure it is not going to help you.

Considering most of the population is illiterate and barely has access to radio let alone any other media, it's not surprising to me in the least. Some haven't seen a government official in their village or district in years.