Afghanistan is the focal point in the
struggle against terrorism and has proved to be a difficult war, but an
important war that is vital to US national security. While the new administration
will send thousands of troops to help defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan,
“kinetic” efforts alone wont help the US win their way to victory. The military
provides necessary security but these efforts are subordinate to programs that
address the grievances crippling the country. The humanitarian
programs vital to lifting Afghanistan out of the abject poverty and the
discontentment that feed terrorist recruitment efforts will require humbled
patience and long term efforts.
Non-military efforts will be the tool
of persuasion and inspiration in Afghanistan over the coming years. It’s imperative
for the new administration to coordinate the magnitude of efforts by public and
private organizations in Afghanistan that are contributing to stability,
development and security. The UN, NATO, NGOS, US Armed forces, development
banks and educational institutions must not perceive themselves as distinct
from one another, but as a unit mutually benefiting and reinforcing one
another. Each organization brings something valuable to the efforts of
development and national security in Afghanistan. The American government must
make concerted efforts to ensure that there aren’t inefficiencies in the
coordination of the admirable organizations on the ground in Afghanistan.
An exemplary program that is working on
coordination efforts of public, civilian and military programs is InterAction.
InterAction assists organizations to work together to devise a positive
strategy worth creating, which best advances the people of Afghanistan into
peace, security and development. More programs on the ground in Afghanistan
should be modeled after InterAction, to increase efficiency in development efforts
and forage trusting relationships between services in Afghanistan and among the
Afghani people.
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