Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. These countries are connected by, among other things, their lawless regions that are breeding grounds for terrorist organizations. Al Qaeda and other groups take advantage of the lack of any governmental presence to establish bases of operations and operate unhindered.

Ah, the irony. Last week, I wrote a column calling for more debate on campus about the war in Afghanistan. The response: silence. No debate, no online comments, no e-mails, no op-ed submissions and no other apparent response on campus.

For several years, the situation in the Middle East has been one giant question mark for Americans. Why are certain groups in power? How are elections being corrupted? Why are we at war with Afghanistan and Iraq when a Saudi ordered the Sept. 11 attacks?

As we mark the eighth anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, our country is embarking on a high-stakes debate about whether and how to continue waging this war.

To my knowledge, never before in American history has such an important and long-lasting war received so little public attention. It is true that we have had many substantial distractions—the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, our energy problems, the economic crisis, the health care debate—that all deserve our attention; yet, we should not have let this war fall so deeply out of our public consciousness.

John Coveyou, a Washington University senior serving in Iraq, keeps his connection with the school while fighting half a world away.
Coveyou has been receiving packages from the Military Care Package Project, an organization set up on campus to give student soldiers a taste of college during their tours of duty.