Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:46 am Post subject: Country-Specific Strategies Afghanistan
There can be no sanctuaries for the Taliban. If Pakistan cannot police Waziristan then NATO must establish a policy of clearing out any Taliban. It is impossible to win a guerilla war when there is a sanctuary and the Taliban will gradually destroy the elected government if it is allowed to continue to operate from Pakistan.
The economic aid program has to be totally rethought. The goal has to be to create such good roads, such a profitable pipeline from Central Asia to the ocean, such economic opportunities for the people that heroin gradually declines. It is inconceivable that Afghanistan can be stabilized as long as one third of the economy is in criminal money for heroin. The combination of crime and Taliban make the current elected government very insecure. People have to see a better future with a lot more resources and a lot more ties to the modern world market if they are going to support eliminating the illegal one-third of their economy.
Afghanistan is a good place to start imposing a one country-one war fundamental reorganization of the American national security system. The current rules of engagement for the State Department and the Agency for International Development are hopelessly obsolete. We are in a real war in a lot of places and all of our national institutions need to be in that war. This will require more entrepreneurship and more speed as well as more resources and more accountability.
http://www.americansolutions.com/General/?Page=625c6731-e59b-49af-8aeb-88981a7cbc16
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