The Afghan War began on October 7, 2001 launching Operation Enduring Freedom to find Osama bin Laden, disarm and destroy al Qaeda, and to remove the Taliban government from power for harboring the terrorist organization.
The war is not over. An increase in troop levels is required to combat the resilient insurgency and help build the confidence of the Afghan people. A new strategy needs to be adopted to protect the population and defeat the insurgency.
After the attacks on September 11, 2001, intelligence reports from the Middle East and South Asia pointed to Afghanistan and al Qaeda as being behind the attacks.
Eight years later, after the fall of the Taliban and free elections, Afghanistan is still rampant with insurgents.
President Obama has followed through with his campaign promise focusing on Afghanistan by increasing troop levels in March by 21,000. On March 27, he said the new strategy was to, “Disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” and relayed a message to the terrorists, “We will defeat you.”
Taking such a hard-line on Afghanistan only weeks after his inauguration was a campaign promise Obama planned to keep when he classified Afghanistan as a war of necessity. But that hard-line is slowing eroding.
We must win in Afghanistan —our peace and our security depend on it. That notion as expressed by Obama in that speech is also felt by General Stanley A. McChrystal, Commander of the United States Forces in Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force. McChrystal released the “Commander’s Initial Assessment,” on August 30, laying out the current situation and the strategy for Afghanistan going forward.
The plan and conditions advocate implementing a “significant change,” in strategy, making sure the forces on the ground have the resources needed for success. “Time matters; we must act now to reverse the negative trends and demonstrate progress.”
The strategy needs adjusting, and according to McChrystal, the answer is a surge in troop levels to combat the insurgency in the most troubled provinces and increase training at all levels of the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF). The strategy Obama laid out in March included the acceleration of the growth of the ANSF to 134,000 and a police force of 82,000 by 2011. For success in Afghanistan, these increased troop levels are needed for the police and Afghan troop levels to be realized over the next sixteen months.. To put an Afghan face on the war, coordinating NATO and ISAF forces within ANSF for increased training is needed.
The Current troop levels in Afghanistan include 35,000 NATO troops and 65,000 American troops. General McChrystal has requested an additional 30,000 to 40,000 troops to help counter the insurgents. I understand no immediate decision made based on the stress it could pose overall on the United States Military, but time is running out. Everyday a decision is not made means further delay for positioning the forces in strategic victory and the possibility of more lives lost.
The Afghan people currently have a “crisis in confidence” with the Afghan government due to corruption and inability to provide basic services to citizens, including security. The perception of the Afghan people is being won by the insurgents whose arguments are fueled by the eight years we have inhabited Afghanistan. To win their confidence, the government and coalition forces must be seen as combating the insurgency and providing for the people. Operate within each community, learn the language, assist in providing services, and earn their trust. Once an area is cleared of insurgents, the area must be held by a number of troops to keep the insurgents from inhabiting that community and continue to terrorize and threaten its people.
Mr. President, take direction from the generals. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mullen, General Petreaus, General McChrystal, and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen - all men who have the experience and tactical training to make this decision based on the proper assumptions and metrics. Before a situation in Iran can be acknowledged and implemented, the war in Afghanistan must be stabilized with an adequate counterinsurgency strategy.
I argue that Afghanistan is at a breaking point, much like Iraq in 2005 and 2006. President Obama acknowledged has that the strategy of the past eight years was not working but the current security force remains weak and ineffective.
With the current Afghani government in question due to election fraud, they are unable to produce tangible results in the eyes of the Afghan people. The current economy is weak, and the rule of law is lacking and not enforced due to the spread of insurgents throughout the different provinces. The insurgency, Taliban forces, and al Qaeda feed off of the lack of confidence of the people.
As General McChrystal stated, “time matters”. Someone will be defeated, and we have the choice to adopt a strategy that will ensure that those who will be defeated will not be the American or coalition forces, or the citizens of Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan is at a critical point, the campaign is over and it is time to supply the troops and the ANSF with the sufficient resources and manpower for a strategic victory.
Article as published in The Shorthorn
Article as published in the College Republicans at UTA October Newsletter
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