Things We Take For Granted

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Today's Washington Examiner posted an article about the difficulties of bringing electricity to the City of Kandahar, Afghanistan.   Last spring, through the use of a power line from Uzbekistan, electricity came to Kabul.  It has not only changed life in the city, it has changed the way the people living there feel about the city.  Kabul is a city 'on the way up.'

Part of the problem with bringing power to Kandahar is that the electric lines supplying the city have been cut numerous times.  It is unclear whether this is done on purpose or is simply a side effect of the fighting.  One of the other difficulties in bringing power to Kandahar is that the Kajaki Dam is in need of repair and the six-year plan to repair it is constantly delayed due to fighting and the difficulty of getting the supplies needed to repair it into the area. 

Electric power is an important part of winning the war because it provides employment opportunities for young men who might otherwise become Taliban fighters or suicide bombers.  People who go to work every day tend to look forward to the future.  Electricity also provides a way for people to access news and become better informed.

The people working on the electricity problem are considering their options.  Green energy may come to Afghanistan.  At any rate, I think the article points out the need to see Afghanistan as a complete picture.  Unless you can sets up some sort of viable economic model (other than the traditional drug trade), the effort in Afghanistan will not be successful. 

Just as a side note, in my opinion, the best source of information on Afghanistan is Michael Yon.  His web address is Michael Yon Online.    Michael  is a former Green Beret, native of Winter Haven, Fl. who has been reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan since December 2004.  No other reporter has spent as much time with combat troops in these two wars.  Michael's dispatches from the frontlines have earned him the reputation as the premier independent combat journalist of his generation.  His work has been featured on "Good Morning America," The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, ABC, FOX, as well as hundreds of other major media outlets all around the world. 

When I want to know what is really going on, I check his website.
 

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This page contains a single entry by Granny G published on February 7, 2010 6:24 PM.

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