Avoiding our Own Vietnam
How could the security environment in Afghanistan be getting worse, not better, after billions of dollars in aid and six years of having “boots on the ground”?
Territory controlled by the Taliban has expanded, the number of attacks by the insurgency has risen, and the number of civilian and soldier deaths continues to escalate. The response to this is always the same: more troops. However, this response, frequently framed by the comment that the insurgency/Taliban/Al-Qaeda could never beat western forces in a head to head battle, utterly misses what is needed to reverse this disturbing trend.
The response of more troops to the increasing strength of the Taliban is a policy failure that the Russians warned us about and will only lead to western forces sinking into a security quagmire; our own Vietnam. It also does a grave injustice to our extraordinary troops who are doing a remarkable job under very harsh conditions. A more effective response demands that we address the three big challenges Afghanistan (and indeed most of the world’s poorest countries) faces. They are the three C’s: conflict, corruption, and a lack of capacity. Without addressing these, Afghanistan will never be the master of its own security – the real objective of our mission.
So what must be done?
Conflict: the goal is for Afghanistan to provide its own security, not for the U.N. – NATO coalition to do this in perpetuity. Therefore, we must have a “surge” in our efforts to create competent, paid, equipped and trained members of an Afghanistan army, police force, judiciary, and correctional system. Remarkably, these last three areas have received grossly insufficient attention.
The support for the insurgency must also be severed. Pakistan, neighbouring countries, and Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States are providing money, sanctuary, fighters, and weapons. A regional working group, involving all of these countries must be pulled together to work for stability in Afghanistan. Instability in Afghanistan breeds instability in their own countries. Also, a grassroots process of inter and intra-tribal reconciliation to deal with conflict that has stretched over generations must occur. This must include bringing Pashtun tribal leaders (the country’s dominant tribe) into the process.
Corruption: Mr. Karzai’s government is riddled with corruption with warlords and narcotics traders endemically embedded within his government’s structure. Their presence makes it very difficult for the people to have faith in their government and faith in our motives as we support the President. Therefore, ethical standards must be developed and enforced for people to run for office. Anybody who does not meet those standards should be forbidden from running. Monies given by other countries and NGOs to the government must be made public in order to create grassroots accountability from the people to their government.
Capacity: How can a country run its affairs if it doesn’t have enough skilled people to run a government? This lack of trained workers is a tragic deficit. Aid organizations generally do a poor job of creating this domestic human capacity. Therefore, better aid coordination, a focus on aid for development, creating a domestic ability to provide for people’s essential needs (health care, education, water, and food security), and infrastructure is essential. NGOs can provide an important level of expertise, but their activities and those of donor nations must be focused.
The narcotics trade is devastating the country through its support of corruption and the insurgency. However, there would not be any production of heroin if there was not a demand, which means that we in the west must get our own house in order and reduce the demand for heroin. Buy heroin and you are supporting people who are killing our soldiers!
We went to Afghanistan after 9-11 with the laudable goal of dismantling Al-Qaeda and removing its supporters, the Taliban, from power. However we are, according to the Russians who were defeated in this far off land, making the same policy and tactical errors they did. We must not repeat these mistakes for the sake of our own troops and for that of the Afghan people. Avoiding this quagmire means being realistic about the solutions that are required on the ground and broadening our interventions into that which will enable the Afghan people to provide for their own security and development. Anything less may result in Afghanistan becoming our own Vietnam.
Avoiding our Own Vietnam
One Response to “Avoiding our Own Vietnam”
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May 7th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Thank you Mr. Martin. I was looking for someone, who could share this topic in canada with me. But I never found one until now. I am an Afghan-Canadian, residing in Canada. When I hear about the situation and the Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan, I wonder what’s the purpose of our Canadian Solders in Afghanistan. Our Soldier plays with their life for something that has no improvement while spreading hatred in afghanistan. More than 30% of Afghans does not want other people leading in there country. Thats another reason for the increasing population of the Taliban. When more and more civilians dies in the unknown help by NATO, civilians joins the Taliban to fight against NATO to free their country (Thats what they say, when they join Taliban). Because American made a bad picture, Afghans does not want anyone helping their country, specially English speaking countries. But helping does not and should not mean sending troops to Afghanistan. NATO has been in Afghanistan almost 8 years now, but there is very little improvement in that country. What we are doing is giving the fish instead of teaching them how to fish. Instead of sending our army to protect them, we should train there army to protect themselves. Indeed they have the better knowledge of who is Taliban and who is civilian. They might kill less civilian. Thanks again for letting the truth be known.