Morgan Robertson & Olivia Discon
A little over two years ago, President Joe Biden announced the United States of America’s intent to withdraw from the Afghanistan War; our longest standing war in history. The aftermath of this cataclysmic event has been felt around the world, but no more so than in Afghanistan itself.
The World Affairs Council of Greater Houston (WAC) is widely known for bringing in big names and esteemed speakers. However, the panel for this past Wednesday was by far one of our favorites. One of LEAP’s goals is to broaden our knowledge of, and establish relationships with, the various departments on campus. For this event in particular, we had the privilege of having Major General David Glaser, Chief Strategy Officer for SHSU, join LEAP on our trip to Houston. General Glaser was a career military officer, and he offered us not only insights into the Afghanistan conflict, but also a unique perspective on the University’s strategic plan. On our drive down, we were able to ask General Glaser questions about his career and what it means to undertake a strategic plan for a large organization. He happily answered our questions, and asked a few of his own about our experiences at SHSU!
The event was hosted at the Asia Society of Houston, a beautiful contemporary structure that mixes Asian and American architecture influences.
While the architecture was certainly captivating aesthetically, its construction is equally admirable. The Asia Society is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified building. LEED certified buildings are green structures that are environmentally conscious in terms of reducing its carbon footprint and its water and energy conservation.
We arrived early so that we could participate in the social hour held before the program, and we were glad we did ! We had the opportunity to meet Jalil Shahkar, who works closely with General Sami Sadat. After a friendly introduction, we were able to take a photo with both General Sami Sadat…
…and Lt. General Khoshal Sadat, who would both be sitting on the panel later that evening.
Indeed, the social hour gave us the opportunity to interact with many people and represent SHSU, something we watched General Glaser do as well!
Chief Programs Officer Ronan O’Malley began the program by formally introducing the panelists for the evening: Green Beret and Executive Director of the 1208 Foundation, Thomas Kasza; Lt. General Sami Sadat, the final commander of the Afghan Special Operations; and Lt. General Khoshal Sadat, a former Deputy Minister of the Interior.
The audience then watched three clips from the 2022 documentary, Retrograde. These clips set the tone for the evening in three parts…
…before the end, which was Biden’s announcement of withdrawal and the suddenness of evacuating Afghanistan; the fall, which was the effects on Afghan troops after the abrupt loss of the United States’ support; and the chaos of the evacuation itself, which the panelists was not fully captured in media/governmental reports.
Both General S. Sadat and General K. Sadat spent their entire adult lives in war.
By virtue of their promotions near the end of the war, they were poised to be able to make major shifts in the war’s direction. The military effort, however, was terminated by the Americans just as they emerged in these leadership roles. The new leaders simply ran out of time.
While the outcome of the war and the implications of the U.S. withdrawal are grim, General Sami Sadat still has hope for Afghanistan for three reasons, in particular: (1) the Afghan people are against the Taliban, (2) the surrounding regions, such as Iran and Pakistan, are against the Taliban, and (3) Afghanistan, according to the panelists, will not allow or bring back corrupt politicians.
Thomas Kasza added a fourth hope, which was the absence of Americans. He noted that the presence of a perceived “Western Invader” provided life and ammunition (literally and figuratively) to the Taliban. The absence of the US may be, he hoped, “removing the fuel from the fire.”
This experience was humbling. Many Americans, including ourselves, are not aware of the realities of life under the Taliban today. Through this panel, we were better able to comprehend the present injustices and how United States legislation played a role in them.
Something that resonated with the entire group was a statement made by General Sami Sadat: “…We are alive. We have military training, we have soldiers, we have good friends in America, and we are combining everything we have to save our country.”
WAC’s Jahan Jafarpour wrapped up the evening, providing additional information about upcoming WAC events–which we hope to attend!
Dinner at Mary’z
In our typical LEAP fashion we try to dine at locations similar to our country of topic. Unfortunately we are unable to find traditional Afghan cuisine, but we did get to experience Lebanese food! There is an added layer of connection for the group Wednesday. Our own Olivia is half Lebanese, so naturally, questions regarding our dinner selections were directed towards her!
Mary’z offers a wide variety of new and great flavors. We started with that in mind, and ordered different dips and hummuses for the table. General Glaser noted that some of the best food he’s ever had was in the company of Afghan commanders. We were able to converse over dinner about the night’s event, and what we learned. Despite growing up during the war, much of the information was new to us.
Our meal selections ranged from Lebanese pita pockets, chicken and beef shawarmas, and beef kabob. We also ordered a variety of different sides, including more hummus, fafa beans, cauliflower, green beans, and baba gahanoush. We all enjoyed our selections, but we enjoyed the company more!
We were also eager to try their various types of Baklava, which proved to be interesting and rewarding!
On behalf of the LEAP Ambassadors, we thank WAC for continuing to host educational programs and allow us such opportunities as this.
We are also especially grateful to General David Glaser for joining us. It means a lot to have administrators support our efforts, and the presence of an expert on the Middle East and strategy added to our education immensely.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 