The Christian Science Monitor has a good article about counterinsurgency tactics in Afghanistan, and in particular, the Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). But at the end of seven years, one has to ask - was it all too little, too late? Are there any long-term positive effects from the actions of these PRTs?
"There is a fundamental problem here," says Edward Luttwak, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. "No Afghan can bring himself to believe foreigners are in the country for anything but a nefarious reason." These projects, he says, might well be welcomed by some locals – but they are "basically a waste of time.
"This is a struggle that will be won when we provide effective armed security for Afghans. That is what is appreciated," he continues. "Sure, we can give them schools and chocolate and they will be happy. But if the Taliban then come back to the village with guns and we don't protect them, they stop being interested in our projects."
The PRT soldiers defend their mission. "I am better at fighting the enemy than building footbridges, that's for sure," says Nuristan PRT's 1st Sgt. Willie Mitchell, a South Carolinian who has seen combat in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq. "But ... this building ... it's the only way we can think of to move forward."
"We have not made it worse," he concludes quietly. "I have walked these hills, and I know we have brought some change for the better ... at least I have to believe that."
We can throw more troops and more money at this enormous challenge, but one has to ask, is it really an accomplishable task? Are we trying to change a culture that just isn't ready for democracy? The military can stabilize the country, but it will take much more to change it. If we weren't mired in Iraq for so many years, it might even be an achievable objective. Now, I just don't know if America has the patience and the fortitude.
Comments