Asymmetrical Warfare In Najmah's War

(AGG) “Asymmetrical warfare is a euphemism for terrorism, just like collateral damage is a euphemism for killing innocent civilians.” a quote from Alan Dershowitz which connects directly to the novel. (BS-1) Similarly, an act of pragmatic collateral damage caused Najmah to lose and subsequently search out her family. (BS-2) This same empirical bombing prompts Najmah’s distrust of people. (BS-3) Finally, a practical bombing kills Faiz, creating lack of communication which causes Nusrat to agonize of what had actually happened. (TS) The author uses the real life topic of the United States have a major impact on the lives of civilians to create conflicts. [MIP 1] The author uses the common, real life event of a bombing, killing civilians, to create the conflict of Najmah attempting to find the last remnants of her family in war-torn Afghanistan. [SIP A] The US bombing that causes Najmah to lose her family is a very real event for many people in Afghanistan. [STEWE 1] Najmah had witnessed …show more content…
explosions… My mother lies on the ground nearby with her legs splayed at odd angles… Habib lies motionless…”(Staples 66-67). This quote clearly shows how her family was killed by a bombing. [STEWE 2] This happens very often in real life, as 21 people died in one province, “On May 9th, the day after Colonel Nicholson's apology, the pro-American governor of Helmand province said 21 civilians had been killed in airstrikes there” ("Hearts, Minds and Death"). Obviously, civilian fatalities caused by air strikes are not a rare occurrence in Afghanistan, making Najmah's family's deaths a realistic occurrence. [SIP B] After the bombing Najmah is faced with attempting to find her family. [STEWE 1] Najmah is determined to find her remaining family, “I have no intention of staying in Torkhum… I am barely able to keep