We Must Ensure Afghanistan’s Security
It is impossible not to look at the events taking place in Afghanistan and feel a sense of unease. The world is still in awe at what happened to Iraq, its security degraded by the onslaught of ISIS and poor governance. We must not let the same happen in Afghanistan.
The occupation of Kunduz was a shock to everyone, a stark reminder of an emboldened Taliban. As early as this year, it was believed the Taliban was a waning threat, eroded by poor leadership and diminishing numbers. Scores of their fighters had left to join the ranks of ISIS.
Now, the outlook is entirely different. With Al Qaeda’s allegiance, the Taliban has been forced to adapt through this hardship, and has emerged emboldened. The shocking realization that the United Nations has classified about half the country as at “high” or “extreme” risk of Taliban attack is cause of alarm enough. Already, the Taliban control 36 districts, and another 36 are contested.
Security needs a stable government.
The overwhelming majority of the country’s population despises the Taliban, and has no desire to see them return to power. Many remember their brutal reign. However, with the Afghan government polluted with corruption, many of its citizens in rural areas see Taliban rule as at least some form of stable government. This is a critical area that must be addressed. A government that preys upon its people and serves only itself will not remain in power amongst usurpers. Reform of the Afghan government must be a priority along with security. The United States must implore the Afghan leadership to agree to strong third-party auditing, an international coalition to aid its government in rooting out corruption and abuse within its ranks. In addition, we must come to terms with the fact that many of the militias we put into power have become abusive. At the time, they were considered necessary evils to defeat the Taliban. But those that violate Afghan law and trample its sovereignty must be reigned in at all costs.
Possibly worse than the militias put into power is the abuse of power by those in Afghan government uniforms that erode trust in the state. Afghan police have been accused numerous times of torture, rape, and extortion. While the Afghan National Police has issues, the worst is the notorious Afghan Local Police. These squads are little better than uniformed militias, receiving a paltry three weeks of training. Afghanistan needs local police, but the current structure is designed to fail.
President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani
Ashraf Ghani has a significant role to play, but has been held back by political infighting and questions about the various roles of Afghan high offices. When first elected, he was seen by the West as the opposite of Karzai, an obstinate, power-hungry leader who weakened the army, let corruption reign free, and despised any assistance from the international coalition. President Ghani needs to take bold stands, and ensure the lines of power in his government are firmly drawn. He must work with the international community to root out corruption in his own government. More specifically, he needs to ensure the rule of law in Afghanistan. The people of his country must believe in their justice system, or they will take the law into their own hands and the wealthy will pay for what they desire. Ghani must root out and prosecute judges and law enforcement that embrace corruption.
The U.S. must increase its support of Afghanistan.
Many Americans are weary of engaging further in Afghanistan. 14 years of war has left our nation jaded to the thought of further bloodshed and conflict in the country. If we allow the current trend to continue, however, all of that sacrifice will be for naught. The turning of the Taliban from Kunduz was a victory, but we must not let that blind us from the tough road ahead. President Obama’s decision to delay troop withdrawal is a start, and an absolute must. But even the planned reduction to 5,500 troops after 2016 is unacceptable and the next president needs to recognize this. Moreover, they need to consider what it is going to take to further stabilize the country.
There’s a plethora of ways we can increase the security and independence of the Afghan government. The failure to establish an effective Afghan Air Force (AAF) is something that must be addressed immediately. It’s clear many Afghan officers are dissatisfied with the scout helicopters supplied to them by the U.S. It’s not hard to see why: we don’t use them ourselves as close air support for regular operations, why on earth would they want to? The MD-530 is a fine aircraft, but under even moderate small arms fire it is vulnerable. The dilemma of no longer being able to obtain Russian aircraft is understandable, but certainly not detrimental. Other countries sell attack helicopters, surely one could be procured. In addition, the United States is in the process of retiring the Kiowa attack helicopters. This sounds like a match made in heaven. The Kiowa works incredibly well in dealing with light infantry, the overwhelming majority of what it would be used for. The AAF is in serious need of a good utility helicopter as well. If the U.S. is unwilling to sell them Blackhawks, many nations other than Russia sell excellent utility helicopters. The issues of the AAF are solvable, but they must be pursued with diligence and a sense of urgency.
Other ways the U.S. can aid the Afghan government is increased training of justice officials. Ensuring the proper training of prosecutors and judges, while also enabling the Afghan justice system to produce extensive records and conduct audits. Corrupted officials must be rooted out.
The U.S. must come to terms with the fact that additional personnel will be needed. While this does not necessarily constitute ground troops, it will definitely include trainers and auditors in a wide variety of roles.
The U.S. doesn’t have to do this alone.
The international community has been involved in Afghanistan for years. They have a vested interest in ensuring that no further destabilization occurs in the Middle East, and giving young Afghans a reason to stay in their country. We must coordinate with our international partners to increase both our logistical and security aid to the Afghan government.
The stability of Afghanistan is everyone’s concern. We cannot afford to throw away years of effort and hard work. And after seeing what happened in Iraq, we know the consequences.
