Hearts And Minds In Afghanistan. Further Thoughts On Pacification.
Read more articles on Foreign Affairs and Politics and The Thoughts Of A Writer In New York City.November 25, 2009
Posted by neillevine
November 25, 2009
Posted by neillevine
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In order to secure peace in Afghanistan, the powers that be are going to have to go beyond giving out food, cell phones and freezers. They are going to have to secure hearts and minds, not an easy task.
How to do it?
True, they have not pacified the country side yet. But an active and more involved development program would probably help. This would give the people something to believe in. More so than roads and soldiers. So would a government the people can trust to deliver services they need and want. It is called providing motivation to get their minds off the threats and worse from the Taliban and their ilk. It is also called providing security, reliability and comfort.
Perhaps the question should be what could be readily and easily done, especially since Americans and their allies are not native born over there. We are foreigners and our ways are different. Another way of looking at this is to point out that if the Afghans wanted roads they could build the infrastructure themselves and not need the outsiders doing things. So this is just one of many big problems, especially since no one ever bothered to debrief, re-educate, inter or otherwise defuse antagonism to a alien presence. So railing against foreign fighters might be a self defeating slogan since military intelligence or counter-intelligence, for what that’s worth, probably could not convince many Afghanis that there is a difference.
It might be better to offer school lunches and breakfasts to help attendance in the school system. It might also help to develop interest in an industry the people already know such as home building. There already has to be an existing construction industry using domestic materials. Why not expand and sell the concept of summer and winter homes. Everyone should understand this and most should be interested. It might also relieve some social problems endemic to the country. I do not believe the occupying forces have much else to offer except being objects of scorn for the politically agitated unless someone has a more scintillating analysis. Boosting the schools should counter balance radical Taliban madrassas and, under most circumstances, people normally are motivated to hold on to homes.
After all, electricity and air conditioners are comparatively complicated as things stand. They are also foreign concepts. Homes are more endemic, more ingrained, more entrenched. Think about it.
This should motivate many locals and get them actively involved in the beginnings of a consumer society, a concept most Afghanis probably do not think much of except for the normal urge to eat. I would hope there are many Afghans who would support and defend their home or that of a beloved relative. This could be viewed as an anchor, an investment in change they can believe in, as opposed to what they know, respect and fear, the power of a vengeful god embodied in a patriarchal society that both motivates and nurtures them in a manner they know and respect. If this is handled properly, there would be an anchor to hold on to and get other things done.
Remember that Saddam Hussein was building Presidential Palaces in Iraq to impress the citizens. While I clearly am not advocating anything as extravagant, I am advocating practical motivation that could be accomplished in any country.
New text books in the local language in the schools and whatever media that exists should help educate these budding consumers. Ideas have always been dangerous so perhaps putn ting a bug in the head of budding readers might lead somewhere, better than looking backwards, that’s for sure.
Admittedly, this is a country at war so the first order of the day is removing or countering threats, which is currently what is causing all the problems and may never find a satisfactory resolution as criminal activity is endemic to many countries, civilized or not.
Then on to delivering on goods and services with the new government that is not heavily anchored. How do we know how solid support is? Is it as porous as the border? Of course, talk about foreign fighters would include not native born soldiers such as the military forces that represent America, the land of the not so brave and not so free. In essence, the U.S. Army is composed of fighters foreign to Afghanistan, something that appears to escape the logic of American leaders. Then it should be on to peace in our time, if you get my drift. One big problem with the so called American military victory in the beginning is that when the Taliban fell there was no re-education or debriefing or interment of hostiles, none of that, like the Commies did to ensure their grasp on the reins of power, so of course, they have been free to regroup.
Somehow despite the competence of the Pakistani military I would expect many big name hostiles to survive. Has anyone said they were looking for Osama Bin Laden or Mullah Omar?
Another Commie tactic, show trials, might help turn public opinion, especially if the criminals explain their crimes against humanity. All practical avenues of rapprochement have to be pursued as this is an endemic enemy with nothing else to do.
Indeed, the Pakistanis have a big problem in what to do after the big battle and this side has a related problem in how to help and how to maintain whatever progress has been made and not allowing backsliding.
So this war on terror has a long way to go and the end is not near
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