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AFGHAN ANGUISH: Religious Experts See a Failing Warfront for U.S.
Looking into the marathon war still raging in the Afghan theater—now the longest military engagement for the U.S. in its history, having just surpassed Viet Nam—many Americans are troubled by what appears to be a noble fight that has gone off the rails.
Though, at this point, it seems so long ago, most still recall that America’s cause for the invasion of Afghanistan was a response to the 9/11 attacks, and its goal to defeat al Qaida and hunt down Osama bin Laden. But James Standish, deputy secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association, is one of those observers who see a war being fought today with less than a clear objective.
Military experts are seeing another U.S. attempt at nation building, in a particular corner of the world populated by a factious, tribal culture where such an endeavor just will not take.
Standish’s concerns are more tactical, specific and immediate—an anguish over the increasing evidence that, with respect to a ruling Afghan authority, the U.S. only has a choice of the lesser of two evils. Obviously, the brutal Muslim-theocratic Taliban is out of the question. So, the result has been a makeshift band of corrupt, self-serving governors with track records of abusing their own people.
If the U.S. is going to remain in this fight, the vision must become more clear and succinct again.
“Human rights should be forefront of our objectives in Afghanistan,” says Standish. “And they aren't right now. Can we even ‘win’ a war when the government we created systematically, deliberately and egregiously violates the fundamental human rights of their populace?”
For a new angle on this complex foreign affair that has so many more dynamics than just the defeat of an enemy, call Special Guests to book and interview with James Standish. He can shed a light on the issue not seen in very great detail before, in a country that sees the world and the human beings who live in it far differently than we Americans do.
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES MAY BE USEFUL FOR SHOW PREP:
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/Afghan-Group-1100-Civilians-Killed-in-1st-Half-of-2010-98256944.html
http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/07/12/afpak_behind_the_lines_southern_afghanistan
ABOUT YOUR GUEST, JAMES STANDISH:
James was born in Australia, grew up in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore), went to college in England, and moved to the United States for graduate school. He earned his bachelors degree from Newbold College, where he first edited the school newspaper and, then, served as President of the student association. He earned his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business, where he was news editor of the Darden News. He then, finally, earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Georgetown University, where he was a staff editor of the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy and President of the church-state law forum.
James worked as business administrator of the Loma Linda University neurology associates and then as administrator of the University of Virginia’s Cardiovascular Division prior to pursuing a law degree. After graduating from law school, he practiced at Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy, LLP, in Washington, D.C., which subsequently merged into Bryan Cave, before coming to the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to represent the Church to the US Government.
He represented the Church for seven and a half years, during which he spearheaded the creation of the annual liberty events and dinner, created and hosted 100 episodes of the Global Faith & Freedom television show, served as the first Executive Director of the North American Religious Liberty Association in the form it currently exists, helped draft the Church’s declaration on church-state relations, testified before Congress and substantially increased the church’s profile in Washington, before being recruited to work as Executive Director of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, an agency of the US Government. At the Commission, he rebuilt the professional staff and, under his leadership, the Commission published its most comprehensive report in its history, and substantially increased its profile in the media and with the other governmental entities. He returned to the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2009 to assume responsibilities for the church’s relationship with the United Nations.
In addition to his work for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, James is a member of the White House Task Force on Interfaith Dialogue & Cooperation, serves as Deputy Secretary General of the International Religious Liberty Association and is a regular contributor to the Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog. He appears periodically in a variety of media, ranging from the Freedom’s Ring radio show to C-Span, from the Hope Channel to National Public Radio. James is married to Dr. Leisa Standish.
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