Monsters do not get reflected in mirrors. But if by some miracle they did, Afghans would see in their mirror a whole line-up of tormentors. From Alexander to the Soviets, Americans and Pakistanis, each one of them has treated Afghanistan and its people shabbily. In every case, Afghans have fought them stoically. And from each invading force, they have earned the greatest praise for their grit.

A Russian general said in 1987, “Pashtuns are the bravest people ever born on the earth; these people can’t be defeated by force.” An American general echoed this sentiment in 2004: “We are fighting a meaningless war against rocks.”

Such praise may sound heroic, but it has condemned Afghans to a near-constant state of war even in the few moments they are at peace. The result is one long carnival of

See Full Page