A Needed Surge

Everyone is talking about the expected 30,000 troop surge to Afghanistan.  Many of those troops are already there or are en route--my husband's base no exception.  The real question remains though, what is this relatively small number of increased ground power really going to do?  The country-side remains  the real threat and most agree the Taliban is growing faster than we can force them out. The big cities remain in NATO's control, however the vast majority of the population live in tiny villages scattered like toothpicks on a bare kitchen floor.   A nightmare of a situation to take control of and then to keep that control.   

Anne Applebaum in her Op-Ed Column of the Washington Post argues that the only "surge" that will last is if the Afghan army itself is enlarged to where it is able to have a real and visible presence in the whole of the country. Right now its some 80,000 soldiers are hardly that.   I am inclined to agree, as well, with her notion of the Afghan military being one of the few solutions to unifying a country who's tribes, dialects, and ethnicities are mind-bogglingly numerous. National identity is crucial to instill in these soldiers who come together for a common cause--one they can believe in and have a real hand in creating--and who can also instill that feeling in their fellow country-men.  

The Allied troops who are there are brave, loyal and most have the best intentions. We are not, however, Afghani and are not privy to a complete understanding of an exceptionally unique civilization who has withstood a surprising number of invaders.  So the point is this:  Our ability to enable the Afghans to not only defend their country themselves, but to create national identity in which it is possible to defend it, is undeniably crucial to our success in this war against terrorism.     This surge of troops must have the goal of not just seeking out the Taliban or providing support, but also for helping to create an institution in Afghanistan of which their own people can admire, respect and ultimately trust.   

The timetable for this will not be indefinite.  Already our support is waning and the number of innocent civilians caught in the cross-fire increasing. In another article in the Washington Post, author John F. Kerry said, "We shouldn't delude ourselves into thinking that we are in anything but a race against time in a region suspicious of foreign footprints...Our goal has never been to dominate Afghanistan but, rather, to eliminate al-Qaeda's haven and to empower Afghans to govern their country in line with their best interests and our national security."

We must win the battle of the support of the Afghani people, specifically through training their military, to ensure our success over the Taliban.   And we must win them over soon.