Speaking in Istanbul last month, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, declared: "This is not a physical war in terms of how many people we kill or how much ground you capture, how many bridges you blow up. This is all in the minds of the participants..."
The general's ludicrous contention that the war is not "physical" would come as a shocking surprise to my students, Abdul Rahim Masoom (23) and Rokay Jalal Mukhtar (20), who are among the 35 Afghans currently enrolled at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) – young men who have seen their schools bombed, their families and friends shattered and scattered, their economy in ruins, their cities laid waste. They are war witnesses whose entire adolescence was spent in an atmosphere that was, and remains, very "physical" indeed.
Before beginning their studies at ITU's civil engineering faculty in 2006-2007, both young men had graduated from Afghan-Turk secondary schools. In Turkey they are supported by modest scholarships from the Afghan and Turkish governments, as well as lunch scholarships from ITU. Abdul's family lives in Mazar-i-Sharif, in the northwest corner of the country, Rokay is from Kabul.
Dear students, US President Barack Obama plans to send 30,000 additional soldiers to Afghanistan. Do you think this is a good idea?
Rokay: If sending soldiers, weapons and bullets could solve the problem, 1,000 American soldiers could probably defeat the Taliban. But the problem is not what it is said to be.
Why should young American soldiers die in Afghanistan? Did American mothers raise their children to put them in fire?
Abdul: I wish he would send some doctors and university professors along with those soldiers... As someone said, "There has never been a good war or a bad peace."
What are your first memories of the war?
Rokay: Our home is 1.5 kilometers from Kabul International Airport and 500 meters from the American Embassy. During the war, 200 meters to both left and right of our home were Taliban military bases. After they were bombed, no glass was left in our windows. The winter had just started and we could not make a single room warm enough to live in. Even the weather was trying to kill us! I was 12 years old when the war began; I remember the night when the United States first' attacked the airport. There was a huge explosion which was worse than an earthquake. Everything fell down on us from the bookshelves. My mother started crying and hugging us, touching our faces and trying to calm us down. We thought it was the end of our life, but it was worse: the explosions went on and on and are still going on.
Abdul, your hometown Mazar-i-Sharif is the location of the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, a sacred Muslim site, and it was also a stronghold of the Taliban until U.S. forces defeated them there in 2001. What do you remember about those times?
Abdul: War feelings are so horrible that words are inadequate to express them. Not to be afraid of war is impossible. And this war resembles hitting an ant with a hammer. You kill the ant, but you also destroy the surroundings. The outcome may be clear – the U.S. will defeat the Taliban – but what happens then? This fear is still present in my mind and my people's minds.
You were secondary school students when the war began. How was your school life affected?
Abdul: Our school was damaged, and classes were cancelled. The girls' high school was bombed by U.S. B52 jets and completely wrecked. The reason for this is unclear to me.
Rokay: The final exams of our ninth grade had just started when the attacks began. We were entering the exams while the mountains behind our school were being bombed by U.S. jets. Soon classes were cancelled. Our school wasn't damaged, but we saw the dead bodies of students from other schools.
How has your hometown been affected by the war?
Rokay: Kabul was a beautiful city before 2001. Today it is nothing but a war field. U.S. soldiers put three-meter-high concrete blocks around their bases, and this imposed psychological stress on the public. Soon afterwards, the U.S. soldiers started to shoot Afghans who were passing in the streets. I myself witnessed American soldiers unleashing a dog to bite a 4-year-old boy, just to "enjoy the scene." Before 2001 we could freely walk the streets, go to parks and do whatever we wanted. Now I have to pass through several checkpoints before I can enter the park. Today Kabul is one of the worst cities – ambushes everywhere! When a U.S. Hummer passes an Afghan car, the soldiers shout "Stop!" while pointing their guns.
Abdul: The international communities have tried their best to bring positive changes to ordinary Afghan people, but after three decades of war, they have failed to do so. There are several reasons for this failure: the foreign communities are not familiar with Afghan culture… They try to replicate Western policies in Afghan society... Most of the funds for NGOs do not reach the people... And besides, the Afghan government has become completely corrupted.
How has your family life changed?
Rokay: My sisters weren't going to university under the Taliban, only boys were allowed to go, but at least the girls were safe at home before 2001. After 2001, every boy or girl who goes to school is not safe. Anything can happen any time, anywhere: kidnapping; suicide bombers; F16 attacks.
Have any of your family or friends been injured or killed?
Abdul: My classmate's uncle was killed by a bomb, along with many other civilians. He had gone to the bazaar to buy something for dinner. The supposed target of the bomb was an American convoy.
Rokay; I was studying at home when a bomb exploded near the Taliban military base and the heavy window frame fell on top of me. I got an injury to my head and on my right leg. I didn't notice the blood until I checked on everyone else. Then I felt something cold on my body and found my clothes were all red. My father also got several injuries.
Have you had any contact with American soldiers?
Rokay: When they first arrived, we waved our shawls to them as a sign of welcome. I remember them giving us chocolate, and we would chat and shake hands. But soon things changed. They started to kill Afghans, and the contacts were cut off. Today, when an American vehicle passes anywhere, it has the right to shoot every living thing within a 50-meter radius. In one incident, several busloads of people who had just come out of a wedding party were shot. Hand shaking and shawl waving have been replaced by hatred.
Abdul: When the Americans helped defeat the Taliban, Afghans gave them a warm welcome. But day by day the popularity of American forces has decreased for several reasons: civilian casualties, especially in air raids; supporting a weak and corrupt government; failure to hold fair and transparent elections; and even with all those well-equipped soldiers, the Americans have failed to bring peace and security.
Can you describe your contacts with Turkish soldiers?
Abdul: There's a big difference between Turkish soldiers and other members of the coalition forces. Afghans like and support Turkish soldiers. They are from a Muslim country. Afghans feel that the Turkish soldiers are part of our community because they act like friends. Turkish soldiers are familiar with Afghan culture, giving equal respect to all ethnic groups.
Rokay: I could speak a little Turkish in 2001, and I saw that the Turkish soldiers were very different from the others. In fact, they were not like foreigners. Turkish soldiers have a good image in Afghan minds. They have never killed. We can chat with them and can hug them.
