Dr. Bonny Ibhawoh (Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University, Canada) discusses President Obama's decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan cannot simply be a military project. It also has to be a civilian empowerment and reconstruction project. That part of the overall Afghanistan strategy is becoming less clear. In his December 2008 speech announcing his decision to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, Obama stated: "The Nation I am most interested in building is our own." This seems to signal a radical shift from the lofty nation building agendas put forward by the US government in the earlier stages of the war. While I can understand the skepticism that some have voiced about America’s nation building role in Afghanistan, it goes without saying that the long term stability and security in Afghanistan which the international community so desperately desires can only be achieved when military campaigns are followed with sustained and coordinated civilian development assistance. For now, it seems that the Obama policy is to continue with an expanded and intensified military counter-insurgency strategy aimed at pushing back the Taliban. While this may well be a necessary first step, it does not by itself offer a comprehensive strategy that will bring long term peace and stability to that country.
Obama's Military Plan for Afghanistan: Beyond Counter Insurgency
12/02/2009 10:27:00 PM
politics, war and peace, world
