Militarism, Mutilation, and Minerals: Understanding the Occupation of Afghanistan




Militarism, Mutilation, and Minerals: Understanding the Occupation of Afghanistan from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

http://www.culturesofresistance.org/malalai-joya

By mid-2010, the war in Afghanistan had arguably passed Vietnam as the longest war in the history of the United States. At the war’s outset many U.S. citizens supported the invasion as a means of holding responsible those who orchestrated the attack on the World Trade Center. However, as time has passed and more American troops and Afghan civilians die, the U.S. government has struggled to maintain popular support by emphasizing other justifications for continuing the costly occupation. One of the most controversial concerns is the plight of women. Many commentators, some of them Afghan women, argue that the presence of coalition forces in their country has allowed them to be more active in politics and civil society. But not all women agree, and many find the country just as dangerous as ever. Furthermore, some believe that, in reality, the U.S. is far more concerned with the nearly $1 trillion worth of untapped mineral deposits that the U.S. discovered in June 2010. Watch this short film, featuring suspended Afghan Member of Parliament Malalai Joya, which allows women in Afghanistan to give voice to their reasons for opposing an ongoing occupation.