America failed Afghanistan
And that is a direct result of our dysfunctional political system
Author’s note: I worked in Afghanistan as a government contractor training the national police force from 2011-2012. I dedicate these words and this essay to the memory of my friend Iqbal and to all the Afghans who have suffered for the egos of American and Afghan politicians.
Above are a few photos from my time in Afghanistan. The bottom two photos have been modified in case either of the translators I worked with is still alive. The reality is that they have probably been murdered by now. Even at the height of the occupation by NATO/America, brave Afghans who worked with foreigners were targeted. My program, national police training, had a pool of about 20 translators. They commuted to work through the busy streets of Kabul six days a week.
One morning, one of them, named Iqbal, was missing. When we asked where Iqbal was, the others told us that he…
