Success and Security in Afghanistan

NUMBERS ARE antiseptic in war - it is anecdotes that tell the story. In Afghanistan, one vital part of that story is the brutality and depravity of our enemy. In a recent opinion piece in The New York Times, Afghanistan veteran Lieutenant Kristen Rouse notes that the Taliban routinely targets children "for maiming, dismemberment, and attack."

This is the enemy we are fighting. Security to Afghans is not an abstract concept. That's why the United States and NATO cannot succeed in Afghanistan without restoring some semblance of security for the people.

The situation is dire. The Taliban have gained control over large sections of southern Afghanistan, violence is up dramatically, and the Karzai government is corrupt and weak. According to a new poll, the Afghan public is becoming more pessimistic and this skepticism is based equally on the worsening security situation and the underwhelming economic performance since US forces invaded in 2001. Afghanistan seems doomed to collapse back into chaos.

Chaos in Afghanistan means a safe haven for Al Qaeda to plan attacks against the United States, a launching pad to destabilize Pakistan, and a return to power for truly brutal elements of the Taliban that are more than willing to kill children to enforce their beliefs. President Obama's dual track strategy is the right approach to achieve a stable and secure Afghanistan.

Track one must focus on restoring security. Obama's deployment of 17,000 new US troops will allow the international mission to finally reach the troops-to-population ratio in southern Afghanistan recommended by the Army Counterinsurgency Manual.

Poppy cultivation in southern Afghanistan provides the Taliban with $300 million annually and funds the insurgency. Attacking the drug trade is a key to success.

Finally, in order to restore security, we must focus on strengthening the Afghan forces. Ultimately, the forces that will provide security for Afghanistan and connect the people to the central government are the Afghan National Army and police. Obama's plan to send 4,000 military advisers is crucial.

Track two of this strategy must build stability through diplomacy and development aid. Afghanistan's history has been one of regional instability. To bring this cycle to an end the United States should work with all the regional powers to resolve outstanding disputes.

To create an incentive to work for stability, development aid needs to be redirected to reward success. As former British Foreign Service officer Rory Stewart has noted, international aid programs perversely reward failing provinces in Afghanistan while ignoring more stable ones, and this has led Afghan regional leaders to joke that they need to set off bombs in their province to get aid.

Succeeding in Afghanistan will be hard, but that does not mean success cannot be achieved. With Obama's new strategy, we can secure America's interests in Afghanistan.

Scott Payne is a policy adviser at Third Way, a Washington think tank. Peter O'Brien is an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran.

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