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As both presidential candidates call for more troops to be sent to Afghanistan, there is a growing realization that more than military force will be needed.
It is widely accepted that as U.S. military forces are withdrawn from Iraq, some units will be sent to Afghanistan to combat a growing Taliban insurgency that has made significant strides of late. NATO and U.S. Forces Two contingents of military forces are currently operating in Afghanistan. One, the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, is headed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Separately, the United States leads a contingent of combat forces fighting the Taliban and remnants of al Qaeda. NATO forces conduct combat operations, train Afghan army and police forces, and engage in economic development and the rebuilding of critical infrastructure. Key member states in the NATO alliance include Great Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, France and Germany. Separate U.S. military forces also engage in civil development and combat operations against the Taliban and al Qaeda, but remain under U.S. command and control. Using the Elements of Power The idea of adding more military forces to the fight in Afghanistan gained popularity after the success of President Bush’s surge of forces to Iraq became evident. However, it has become increasingly clear that additional forces for Afghanistan will be extremely hard to find. NATO countries have been very reluctant to send additional forces to Afghanistan, and some member states of the alliance have refused to allow the forces they have already sent to be used for combat operations. And the United States will not be able to free up forces in Iraq for at least several months, and those troops would need time to recoup before heading to Afghanistan. So, the United States and NATO need to look at other elements of national power if the Afghanistan strategy is going to be successful. Diplomatically, pressure needs to be applied to the new Pakistani government to take the measures necessary to bring law and order to the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan. Economically, the United States and NATO need to invest heavily in rebuilding Afghanistan. Building a few schools and roads won’t do the trick. Long-term investment is key. And finally, the information element needs to focus on convincing Afghans that they can have a better life, free of terrorist influence and as part of the international community. Hope for a better future, inspired by word and deed on the part of coalition forces will go a long way toward winning hearts and minds. Bringing it All TogetherThe bottom line is that any strategy for rebuilding Afghanistan while rooting out the remaining elements of the Taliban and al Qaeda must include all the elements of national power, used in concert. A temporary increase in military force may be necessary to set the conditions for long-term progress, but unless the other elements of power are sufficiently employed, the Afghanistan project will end in failure.
The copyright of the article Afghanistan Needs More Than Just Troops in International Affairs is owned by Greg Reeson. Permission to republish Afghanistan Needs More Than Just Troops in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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