A Better Plan

The UN’s top official in Afghanistan has pointed out: “The war in Afghanistan cannot be won militarily and success is only possible through political means including dialogue between all relevant parties.”

Obama has announced a 10 year plan for Afghanistan, which includes an additional 21,000 U.S. military forces deployed in Iraq and diplomatic engagement of Pakistan. Unfortunately, he’s still trying to force political and social change through the Pentagon.

A better plan would be to focus on diplomatic cooperation and humanitarian aid, diminish civilian causalities by scaling back military force.

1. De-escalate troop levels in Afghanistan and reject the idea that there is a military solution to the region’s problems;

2. Immediately stop military activities that indiscriminately impact civilians such as air and drone strikes;

3. Withdraw all U.S. troops and foreign forces from Afghanistan as soon as possible;

4. Commit to negotiated diplomatic talks involving all major regional players, including major international peacekeeping bodies; and,

5. Address the real needs of Afghans, which include healthcare, clean water, education, and security.

Michael Scheuer has two decades of experience in national security issues. While with the CIA, he wrote “Imperial Hubris” under the pseudonym Anonymous.

In 2004, Scheuer wrote: “Unless U.S. led foreign forces are massively increased and are prepared to kill liberally and remain in Afghanistan permanently, the current Afghan regime cannot survive. In Afghanistan, above all other places, familiarity with foreigners breeds not just contempt, but war to the death. The reestablishment of an Islamic regime in Kabul is as close to an inevitability as exists. One hopes that Karzai and the rest of the westernized, secular, and followerless Afghan expatriates we installed in Kabul are able to get out with their lives.”