Commentary By Ron Beasley
We will fail in Afghanistan because policy makers look at a map and see a country where no country exists. That's right, there is no functional country of Afghanistan and never has been. When I worked for the DIA in the early 70's we knew that Yugoslavia was also only a country on a map and that once the strong arm of Josip Broz Tito was no longer holding it together it would become the Balkans. Iraq too was an artificial country held together by a series of tyrants and may yet be Balkanized. Unlike The Balkans and Iraq Afghanistan has no history of ever being a country. It is a collection of tribes and tribal areas.
Over at Salon Robert Dreyfuss has found an unlikely person who agrees:
I don't usually find inspiration in the pages of the Washington Times, are rarely if ever in the writings of Tony Blankley, the former spokesman for Newt Gingrich, but his recent column on the mess in Afghanistan struck me as intelligent and provocative. It's called "Empower the local tribal chiefs," and it makes sense to me. Blankley says that the United States is fast making enemies in Afghanistan of the very tribesmen who expelled the USSR, and he makes this essential point about the faulty thinking behind US strategy there:
"It would appear that a policy that calls for substantially increased troop strength for both the American and Afghan forces implies a policy that aspires to build a strong central government in Kabul capable of permanently suppressing the Taliban. But the long history of Afghanistan suggests that, unlike Iraq (or Japan and Germany after World War II), Afghanistan is not likely to accept a strong central government."
Blankley, whose right-wing credentials are impeccable, adds:
"We are not hated quite yet. But we need to leave soon, or we will be."
Rugged and isolated Afghanistan can never be like Tito's Yugoslavia or Saddam's Iraq. You can't do nation building where not even the seed of a nation exists - not even with a strong armed tyrant.
George W. Bush did not recognize the difference between Sunni and Shia but apparently Obama does not realize he's not dealing with a country.
well i really don't agree that Afghanistan is not a country,but surely Afghanistan is a country with many enthnicities living, in Afghanistan what is more important is that the international game players in the region are not leting the country leaders to have a sense of responsiblity for the development of Afghanistan, the learders are a robot in Afghanistan, if Afghans follow a leader he will be assisinated in bomb blasts, and the media will say that the So called Taliban millitents did that action, but is not like that, Afghan leaders made some critical mistakes and decissions in the past and still they are making blunders(the so called political players in Afghanistan are not a real Afghan) the current president a Mafia Boss, but a President of Afghanistan, the cold wars did create Taliban, or Mujaheedin, and they were supported hugely by many countries of the world, the yesterday's friends are todays enemies, and remember todays friends are tomarrow's enemy, Billions of Dollors are donated by the international community, where so far are the achievements, i don't see it, so let the dirty politics let people of afghanistan build their country, and for sure Afghanis are capable to control their country to portary that they are the proude Afghan Nation in the central Asia, let Afghans live according to their choice, people surely relaised that no wars again no fights again, let them build their nation building process,
ReplyDeleteMr. Ron Beasley, Afghanistan was a country on the map since centuries. Did you forget how it kicked out the British Empire? I think you're trying to pure water on the glass of some of our southern neigbours by saying that this was a country only on the map. In fact, on the map, Afghanistan is much larger nation which one day will be won again. But for now, the entire world couldn't even survive this country on the map, imagine if it becomes a functioning state, it may make an end to the superpowers!!! Truly, there is no doubt that it is not in the interest of the world to stabilize Afghanistan or else we could have peace decades ago.... more over the issue of ethnic is not a specific 'issue' or problem in afghanistan, how about comparing Scottish and Irish with British in the UK or the position of Black (or African Americans) in the USA?? don't you think this ethnic diversity is part of a natural reality of not only Afghanistan but the entire world geography?? Stop alienating Afghanistan and that'll end the troubles in the region...
ReplyDeleteOver at Salon Robert Dreyfuss has found an unlikely person who agrees:
ReplyDeleteShould Read >>> Over at The Nation Robert Dreyfuss ...