Understanding the war in Afghanistan

On Oct. 3, eight U.S. soldiers were killed in one of the worst battles yet fought in Afghanistan. Nearly 10 years into the War on Terror, one can't help but wonder why it seems that the ranks and resolve of the insurgents grow with each passing day.

Americans confused by our continual defeat and the steadfastness of the insurgents should consider a simple role reversal. If armed Chinese troops were stationed in our streets, especially in a rural area ripe with "traditional American values," how long would it take before their occupying patrols start dodging pot-shots from hunting rifles? The question answers itself, yet many seem amazed that another nation would resist perpetual military occupation in precisely the same manner.

Of course, our hypothetical Chinese invaders could launch their missiles and incinerate the towns that would inevitably harbor Yankee insurgents. They could scrub entire regions clean. Surely many would die — guerrilla warfare is risky business — but for each person dead there would always be a heartbroken brother, father, sister or mother, once docile but now filled with fury, ready to hoist the banner of the insurgency.

But this should be news to no one, as Osama bin Laden himself has been saying for years that U.S. meddling in the Middle East and our occupation of Arab soil are the driving force of his hatred. Contrary to popular belief, bin Laden and those animated by his cause almost never claim that their fight is with America's heathen culture or with Western capitalism. But, as scholar and Marine Col. John Jandora points out, bin Laden brings up the theme of erasing the shame of the enduring humiliation of the U.S. occupation and meddling in Middle Eastern politics more than 75 times in 18 of his major statements.

In a 2004 report from the Foreign Broadcast Information Service of all of bin Laden's statements from 1994 to January 2004, a vast majority of pages in the document is criticism of U.S. or U.S.-sponsored aggression in the Middle East. The next largest category of content is criticism of Saudi Arabia. Their sin? Allowing U.S. troops to deploy on their soil through alliance. Ridicule of decadent American culture and the desire to spread Islam to the West account for a small percentage of his combined statements. Even the so called self-starting cells of suicide bombing are inextricably linked to the violent blowback of U.S. occupation and meddling. A 20-year analysis by University of Chicago professor Robert Pape of 462 suicide bombers revealed that al-Qaida bombers are "10 times more likely" to come from a Sunni country with an American military presence.

No matter how many senators or presidents pound their pulpits and brand our failures in Afghanistan or Iraq as a war of civilizations (while asking for your support, of course), the facts point elsewhere. Each year we remain is one more year that bin Laden's crusade appears more attractive to otherwise peaceful people. When we leave, we must leave entirely — no Vatican-sized military installations left over. We should be lifting embargoes and engaging in free trade, not harassing nations with the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, which are viewed by many foreigners (probably correctly) as fronts for U.S. interests. We must stop arming and financing our favored dictators, as well as stop destabilizing entire regions. (In years long past, we armed and funded bin Laden himself!) Last, but of the greatest importance, we must swallow our hubris and release our grip on the marionette strings of the Middle East.

Zachary Caceres is a contributing writer.