This is the third in a series on popular myths about Afghanistan. For Myth #1, read Popular Myths About Afghan Women, Myth #2 is The Afghan Women's Movement on International Forces, for Myth #4, read Guest Myth-Buster Melissa Roddy's The Persistent Afghan Pipeline Conspiracy Theory, Myth #5 is Afghanistan is Backwards and Irreparable, and Myth #6 is Afghanistan has never been conquered by outside forces.

Myth #3: Afghans don’t want us there.

The Truth: The reality is that most of those individuals and organizations insisting that NATO’s role in Afghanistan is an imperial enterprise are unconcerned with what Afghans want. If they were concerned, discovering the opinions, thoughts and ideas of Afghans would have been an early priority when forging a position that influences the actions of our own government, and impacts the lives of Afghan men, women and children.

Though among most stoppists there is little pretending to care about the fate of Afghans, when queried, they will often say something along the lines “they don’t want us there,” despite the evidence to the...More >>