Atlantic Community:Global Must Read Article "Rory Stewart Wonders About the West's Afghanistan Plan"

NATO troops should adopt three main policies in Afghanistan, says Rory Stewart. First, they should develop a more considerate approach towards tribal communities in order to distinguish between friends and “real” enemies; second, they should concentrate on highly visible infrastructure projects to regain the population’s trust; third, development projects need to be launched (e.g. from UN Habitat) to improve living standards. As Chief Executive of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Kabul, Stewart can see firsthand that perceived lack of a cohesive strategy has caused many Afghans to lose what little trust they had in the Western allies, particularly the US.

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Fri, Apr 13th 2007, 18:10

Casey S Butterfield, Atlantic Community, Gold Contributor (101)

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If anyone knows conditions on the ground, it's Stewart. He walked across Eurasia several years ago and has ample cultural experience of the area. But aren't recommendations like this a no-brainer? The key is to put them into practice in a savvy and culturally-sensitive manner.