Afghanistan’s 'Bravest Woman' Pins Hopes on USA, Not Obama

[IndianaGreen]

Published on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 by New American Media

Afghanistan’s 'Bravest Woman' Pins Hopes on USA, Not Obama

by Aaron Glantz

Malalai Joya has been called "Afghanistan's bravest woman." When the Taliban ruled her country, she braved death, running an underground girls school. When the US military overthrew the Taliban she ran for parliament.

But that doesn't mean she's a supporter of the U.S. military, or President Obama's decision to double the number of American troops in her country.

"Unfortunately, President Obama's foreign policy is a lot like criminal Bush," she said in a sit-down in interview during a recent visit to San Francisco. "He follows war in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Pakistan." Joya's opposition to the U.S.-NATO occupation of Afghanistan began shortly after foreign troops arrived in 2001.

Immediately "after the 9/11 tragedy, my people thought maybe this time the US government will be helpful for our people," she said. "They were hopeful that Taliban domination has been destroyed maybe this time they will give a chance to justice-loving, democrat-minded people of my country. At least to people who don't have bloody hands!"

But Joya found that hope dashed quickly - as early as December 2003 - in the first meeting of Afghanistan's newly-elected constitutional assembly. She looked around the room and saw the United States and NATO had invited a who's who of the warlords who had destroyed her country to form a new government.

She was 24. And she couldn't stay silent.

"I wish to criticize my compatriots in this room," she said amid boos, catcalls and scattered cheers. "Why would you allow criminals to be present at this Loya Jirga, warlords responsible for our country's situation? Afghanistan is the center for national and international conflicts. They oppress women and have ruined our country. They should be prosecuted. They might be forgiven by the Afghan people, but not by history."

The chairman responded by throwing her out.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/12/09-7

[FiveGoodMen]

1. "Unfortunately, President Obama's foreign policy is a lot like criminal Bush"

What else is there to say?