UN Head Says Afghan Strategy 'Doomed' - Too Militarized and Not Political Enough

[bigtree]

The Times- January 29, 2010

___ He warned that the military focus was at the expense of a "meaningful, Afghan-led political strategy" and that Western troops and governments had left Afghans feeling they faced "cultural invasion".

Speaking before last night's conference on Afghanistan, being held in London, he said the international community must stop operating according to "strategies and decisions that are taken far away from Afghanistan".

"Very unfortunately, the political strategy has become an appendix to the military strategy," he said. "The strategy has to be demilitarised - a political strategy with a military component."

"The so-called clear, hold, build, military strategy has serious flaws," Mr Eide said.

"First of all, we are not able to `clear' when our opponents are insurgents one day and a normal inhabitant of a village the next day.

"We are not able to `hold' because it takes time to train and put in place police and sub-national governance.

"And we are not able to `build' because we cannot expect civilian development agencies to come into what they feel is a military campaign."


read more: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/afghan-strategy-doomed-un-envoy/story-e6frg6so-1225824473122

[blm]

1. Exactly what Biden, Kerry and Eikenberry warned, but, McChrystal, Gates and Clinton pushed for

greater military role. Obama splitting the difference in favor of the HAWKS was not the best solution. He needs to revisit that decision and take the road urged by Biden and Kerry.

[tekisui]

2. knr.

[dkf]

3. Asking a bunch of tribes to turn into a modern jobs producing economy with a centralized government

Is a cultural invasion.

Frankly we have no idea how to get a People to fight off bad guys without an established security force. Their way of Life does not allow them to do what we want.