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December 2, 2009

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EU's positive response to President Obama's speech :

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/cf...

December 2, 2009

Marek Swierczynski, journalist at TVP, Diamond Contributor (1092)

Obama's request for additional 10.000 troops from NATO allies will put any defence minister of a NATO-member country in trouble. Not only because the public is generally against any increase of the Afghan effort, but because the addition that Obama's got in mind is probably beyond reach, as it would mean doubling or trippling the burden of each ISAF participants. And there is little proof that this strategy will eventually work. Afghanistan is not Iraq - anyone knows that by just looking on the map. Knowledge of the local situation - and that of Pakistan and border areas - only makes the picture more complicated. You can not just "surge" Afghanistan with troops, surely not with the numbers mentioned above. On the American side there's already a feeling that NATO solidarity doesn't work in Afghanistan as well as it should. NATO troops are by and large stationed in the relatively easiest areas, leaving the US with the hard fighting and most of collateral damage. Putting extra 10.000 troops there is probably a vain effort. Putting them into the troublespots will probably leave half of them injured or dead - and that's a recipe for a public outrage in Germany, France or Britain. In case of Poland, 600 extra troops is what the country can afford at the maximum, but still, they'll not have enough airlift, medevac, transport and logistics. From this point, any increase in numbers is putting the servicemen in extreme danger.

December 2, 2009

Ann H. Sontz, EuropaSurvey, Silver Contributor (26)

Thomas Rausch rightly underscores Franco-German conflicts about hikes in troops levels. This point, in turn, leads to a consideration of a further problem in transatlantic ties: namely, each new US policy may engender risks as far as European and NATO unity on Afghanistan is concerned.

Many analysts have concluded that "winning" in that troubled nation should not be looked on in traditionalist terms. Tribal political organizations are shifting competitive, and elusive.
Service delivery, including cash infusions, tends to disappear in a battle for status among tribes and tribal leaders. The fissive nature of the social organizations in which the majority of Afghans live prevents representative organizations from emerging at the national level. This is an historic lesson learned by both the British and the Russians. Just how to declare victory, and with whom, will undoubetdly remain a lingering question for those policies that seek success and closure through troop level hikes without clarifying Afghan's essential political challenges.

December 8, 2009

Catherine Stella SCHMIDT, Washington University, Bronze Contributor (15)

The United States and Europe in Afghanistan:
Why should we stay


Last week was an affirmative week for the US led-Operation in Afghanistan.
Just as President Obama disclosed his decision, in response to General McChrystal's strategic request, to increase the number of US Military personnel with the extra 30000 soldiers, on the other side of Atlantic, far from reluctancy and rather readily, Europe extended its hand to its American partner by agreeing to augment the number of its troops for implementing the Humanitarian missions in the various parts of Afghanistan.

Evidently in Afghanistan there is a prodigious need of a deeper unity between the US and Europe; an extended proficiency and strength among the Commanding officers and our Soldiers. Additionally, a need for objectivity and a logical prospective in the civil societies and the people of the region in order to be able to understand that contrary to what the media, with the technique of sensationalism for their sale uplift, are trying to impose on public perception, the political prognosis in Afghanistan is far from bleak.

In the same week, Prime Minister Brown, in unity with the United States, highlighted the extra 500 soldiers bringing the number of Britannique to the total of 10000, maintaining the largest troop in Afghanistan second only to the US. Rome is marching in preparation to maximize its troops, which it declared thereafter.
While le Chef de la Diplomatie Francaise Bernard Kouchner ruled out the status quo by acknowledging the possibility for the addition of deployment, Deutschland has already reshuffled its cabinet and placed the public pulse in the hands of its new Defense Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg.
In the next few days his role will be particularly crucial as he steps in to convince the German parliament and the public. He has yet to combine his political rhetoric with the military might in order to justify, not only the German presence in Afghanistan, but also making a case for multiplying the number of its soldiers on the ground.

With all these imperative layout plans, at long last, NATO could heave a sigh of relief.

It has passed almost eight years since the day that the United States launched an operation to remove the tyrannical system in Afghanistan and liberate the people of that land, who had been suffering for quite a long period, first in civil conflicts and later under the atrocities of Taliban rulers.
Yet it is diaphanously apparent that despite the fact that the security remains to be a bit in turmoil, despite the fact that there is still social derangement, the general structure of the country, in a very positive way, has changed since its liberation. Though slowly Afghanistan is advancing towards Democratization. The local people are already benefiting from the many Humanitarian projects that the US and the NATO forces have implemented thus far.
In the historical scope, it is evident that in any parts of the world where there has been a step towards a better society, there had been a price which was paid for it. Neither the United States nor la France-- and truly not any other countries in the world has ever actualized Freedom and achieved Democracy without the bravery, sacrifice and perseverance of their people.

It would be unthinkable-- rather facile and implausible to envision that the essential changes that we are implementing in Afghanistan, in order to help them to establish a democratic government will be without casualties on both the US-NATO forces and the local people sides. It will be naïve to think that war against tyranny will be casualty-free with the rapid obtained results. And this is the fact that Politicians have to make it clear to the general public while expecting them to comprehend the mission in Afghanistan and adhere to it.
For we are not there to court them politically or exercise the military excursions but we are there, in that land-- Afghanistan, for a noble cause, the Humanitarian one.
Because we are: Liberating Afghanistan;
Assisting the local people to get their country back on the right path; Helping them to be Free from traces of darkness by providing them every means for the general and the higher education;
And leading them to have a Democratic country under the rule of law.

Putting aside the Humanitarian aspects of this operation, strategically, we can be assured that the US-EU operational framework in the Afghanistan region will work towards, not only the completion of Democratization in Afghanistan, but also it will pay off for the security of United States, Europe and the entire region. We will accomplish our mission in Afghanistan as we are helping it, instead of being the camps for extremist, to become a stabilized and a secure country that could contribute to the world.
The constructive changes in Afghanistan might not be noticeable at this very time, yet in due course the World will see the results of the Knightly measures that the United States and Europe did take for liberating that region from the theocratic oppression and the brutality of the tyrannical system.

Thus the US and Europe should maintain their positions in Afghanistan until the insurgency is defeated; the corruption is annihilated and the rightful Democratic government is in place. And equally important, until the people of the region are able to take responsibility of their own country.

With these principles in the framework of our policies, hence we have to accredit this Humanitarian operation and all our soldiers who are engaged in it.