Progress In Afghanistan (or: What the MSM Won't Tell You Pt.344)

It would be wrong to say that some vital information is ‘lost’ in the barrage of feel-sad stories the main stream media throws our way each night when it come to the ongoing struggle in Afghanistan.

The term ‘lost’ would imply something was actually there to begin with. That doesn’t apply here.

With no disrespect intended to the families of the fallen Heroes of all fighting nations, the MSM has proven to be far more interested in rushing to the airport so they can grab fresh footage of the latest casket to be carried out of a transport than they are with reporting anything about the progress being made because of those very Heroes.

Frivolous arguments over when and if to lower the flag – why not let the family decide? – have eaten up valuable newsprint and television airtime, leaving the stories about the small victories on the cutting room floor.

According to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) website, their main Reconstruction and Development (R&D) duties include (but are not limited to):

^ Provincial Reconstruction Teams
^ Support humanitarian assistance operations coordinated by GIRA organizations
^ Monitor counter-narcotics efforts

While the ISAF has reached varying levels of success in each area of responsibility, there is no arguing what the statistics are telling us. The website continues to list some R&D achievements in numbers:

^ In 2001, 8% of Afghans had access to basic healthcare. In early 2007, the figure is up to 83%.

^ In 2001, 1.2 million children attended school daily; today, 7 million do, including 2 million girls. A total of 43,000 – 45,000 teachers were trained in 2006.

^ 825 of the ring road network is open to traffic, through portions are still under construction.

^ There were 88,136 anti-personnel mines destroyed, as well as 11,524 anti-tank mines.

^ 83% of the population now has access to medical facilities, compared to 9 percent in 2004

^ More than 4000 medical facilities opened since 2004

^ Millions of girls are back in school with 400,000 new female students starting school for the first time this year

While the ridiculous debate over what day to end the war goes on in Ottawa, Canadian and Allied forces are helping to teach a nation how to defend itself. In the Security section of the site I found this nugget:

^ The Afghan National Army is truly a “national” institution representing every major ethnic group.

^ The ANA is growing in strength and capability every day. Three years ago, there was no ANA to speak of, but today the ANA exceeds 50,000, many of whom are conducting operations side by side with ISAF forces. In many cases, the ANA is now engaged in or leading major operations.

Presidential candidates chew the Iraq bone down to nothing and are silent on Afghanistan. The animatronic newscaster drones on about timelines for withdrawal, debates over what to do with American war deserters in Canada, and a death toll that is but a drop in the ocean of World War II numbers.

What’s worse is the media’s complicity in the perpetuation of the erroneous belief that the ‘reconstruction’ aspect of the Afghanistan mission is lacking. While the opposition parties cry that too much focus is on the military mission and too little work is being done in the area of R&D, the numbers don’t support that allegation.

Not that the national news would broadcast success stories. That could lead to a spike in public support for continued military operations, perhaps even until the job is done.

And what kind of story would that make?