Fake Feminism for pro-war purposes

We are currently seeing a renewed effort to rebrand Afghanistan as a war for Human Rights, and in particular Women's rights.

The current issue of TIME Magazine has a front cover photo of an 18 year old Afghan woman called Aisha whose nose has been cut off and the headline "What happens if we leave Afghanistan".
The Editorial and other stories and interviews go on to tell us all about the horrific treatment of women by the Taliban. And I have no reason to doubt any of the claims of brutal oppression. What I don't believe is the Editorial assertion that "We do not run this story or show this image either in support of the U.S. war effort or in opposition to it."

Wikileaks criticised by the White House.

Wikileaks releases over 90,000 classified reports from Afghanistan, a war that's being going badly (as EVERY attempt in history to occupy that country has done) and where the media reports are about as open and informative as the burkas some of the women are forced to wear by local fanatics.

The cables paint a picture of a different war from the re-assurances we've been spoon-fed. Some hints of the reality came out from McChrystal's statements about civilian casualties and some of his staff remarks that they are 'losing this f*c&ing thing'.
Reports available from Wikileaks and the Guardian Newspaper contain accounts of Polish troops raining mortars on a wedding party, of British troops killing civilians, of collusion between the ISI and Taliban, of the Taliban shooting down helicopters with anti-aircraft missiles, and of US troops killing and maiming the locals. In one case, it gives a report of an American base that was over-run by insurgents, abandoned by the surviving soldiers.