Lingering worries in Kashmir one year after earthquake

It was a year ago that a devastating earthquake killed over 80,000 (some estimates put the death toll at 100,000) and left almost 3 million people homeless. I hope that the folks at Church World Service will excuse the potty mouth occasionally displayed at this blog, so that I can bring some attention to the fact that about 400,000 people in Pakistan-administered Kashmir are still without shelter, as winter descends on the region.

This matter is important to me for two reasons:

1. People are suffering. That's a matter of concern in any context.

2. This is a huge opportunity for America and Americans to extend themselves in a part of the world that doesn't like us very much. Politics aside, it's common sense and a logical extension of our foreign policy to continue to direct attention and resources to a situation that has the potential to destabilize the region further.