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Could it be that the U.S. will seek to create tribal-based militias in Afghanistan, as it did in Iraq? Carlotta Gall of the New York Times caught up with Central Command chief David Petraeus in London, and it appears he’s considering that option:
Yet some of the Iraq experience is already being examined in the Afghan context, he said. In particular the success of the Awakening Councils, and persuading former insurgents to reconcile and work against Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, could work in Afghanistan and was already under consideration there, General Petraeus said.
“Certainly many on the ground think that perhaps in certain areas local reconciliation initiatives hold some potential,” he said.
Now, it could be that Petraeus isn’t talking about creating what might be called Sons Of Afghanistan, and is instead concerned with the general strategic option of separating irreconcilable enemies of the Afghan government from those who can be bought off or otherwise induced to abandon insurgency. If so, the approach seems unassailable — at least if you would prefer not to fight an endless war. And since Petraeus emphasized in his Times interview that "every situation like this is truly and absolutely unique, and has its own context and specifics and its own texture," it’s probable that, at the least, he’s not going to impose an Iraq template onto Afghanistan.
But. It’s worth remembering that Afghanistan, unlike Iraq, has a long history of warlordism, with every thug and regional potentate commanding a band of gunmen. For years, the Karzai government — admittedly not the most competent entity — has labored to disarm the militias or weaken their power. An Awakening Council-based approach will almost certainly sound to the Afghan government like an abrupt about-face of that years-old approach, and it’s an approach that has its fair share of value. Janine Davidson, blogging at the Washington Post — you remember her from my counterinsurgents series — recently made the point that localism is crucial for counterinsurgency. But as applied to Afghanistan, the question may be: how local is local? Important national figures in Afghanistan, I happen to know for a fact, are extremely wary of creating new militias, for understandable reasons.
Later this morning, Gen. David McKiernan, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, will hold a press conference that I’ll be at. Let’s see if I can get him to address the question.
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Will American forces continue to kick in the doors of families as they have in Iraq and Afghanistan?
From what I understand which is based on information provided by several people who are from Afghanistan is that the only logical way to deal with some Taliban members who are not as radical as others is to make real efforts to bring these Taliban members to the table.
I know the Afghani government asked the Bush administration on numerous occasions for proof of Osama Bin Laden’s involvement with 9/11. From what I understand the Bush administration has never provided any solid and verifiable proof of OBL’s involvement. Has this changed?
That many people in Afghanistan look at the U.S. presence there as an occupation.
Osama bin Laden has on numerous occasions admitted to and bragged about his responsibility for 9/11.
Which Afghani government?
wonder why the Afghani government has not considered this solid evidence. They are still asking for verifiable proof and the Bush administration has not been able to do so
“wonder why the Afghani government has not considered this solid evidence.”
No you don’t.
If you had any serious or honest interest in understanding 9/11, you would have read something in the past 7 years other than conspiracy theory garbage that relies on easily verified lies and pretending nothing has occurred since then which contradicts them.
Like the anecdote you cite.