Rep. Ellison: Public, media ignore Afghanistan

This is something I've been screaming about on my other blog. We need to pay attention to this and yes, make a big deal out of it to the media so they pay attention too.

Development News from Afghanistan
Rep. Ellison: Public, media ignore Afghanistan
Posted in Uncategorized by afghandevnews on April 5th, 2008
March 26, 2008
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The war in Afghanistan is not a top issue in the U.S. presidential race because of a lack of interest among the American public and the media, a U.S. congressman said during a visit to the Afghan capital Wednesday.

Keith Ellison, a Democrat from the U.S. state of Minnesota, said he believes America’s three leading presidential candidates are paying attention to the conflict in Afghanistan but the issue is not garnering wider interest.

“Either because of the public interest or the press, it’s not a hot debate item, but I think it should be,” Ellison said. “It’s clear the focus in the presidential debate is on Iraq policy, but I wish the press would ask more questions about Afghanistan, what could or should be done to make sure Afghanistan’s future is secure.”

Ellison said he thinks that after the U.S. election in November any of the three top candidates — Republican John McCain or Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — will pay more attention to Afghanistan than the Bush administration has.

Ellison is one of six U.S. congressional members who wrapped up a two-day visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday. The group met with President Hamid Karzai and U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill, the top NATO general in charge of the international military mission here.

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