General Stanley McChrystal took the reins from General David
McKiernan in Afghanistan today, as President Obama continues to put his stamp
on policy towards Afghanistan.
One policy that is going to have to change, said
the Chief of the U.N. Mission in Afghanistan, is the manner in which U.S.
forces have been conducting raids. He warned against the aggressive style,
saying not only that raids should be “Afghanized,” but that American troops are
over-reliant on airstrikes when militants open fire during raids.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates agreed in principle,
recognizing this week that the
U.S. must do a better job of keeping civilian deaths to a minimum. Insurgent
attacks in Afghanistan are at a new high since 2001, reflecting a growing
resentment of NATO forces amongst Afghans. Gen. McChrystal, chosen by Gates
himself to replace Gen. McKiernan, echoed this appeal,
saying protecting civilians (especially considering the
upcoming elections) and improving quality of life are of the utmost
importance.
Meanwhile, some military lessons learned in Iraq are already
proving to be inapplicable
in Afghanistan. Heavily armored humvees that proved useful in defending
against roadside bombs in Iraq are hindering troops in Afghanistan. Lighter,
more mobile vehicles are needed to pursue insurgents, who are employing hit-and-run
tactics, especially considering the more rugged off-road terrain.
Furthermore, Afghanistan's lack of infrastructure is
hindering tactics that succeeded in Iraq. Considering that there is more of a
disconnect between rural and urban dwellers in Afghanistan, development
projects and other efforts to reach out to Afghan civilians is going to have to
be stepped up.
Hey Ashfaq, mum's the word, ok?
Across the border, Al-Jazeera's Imran Khan thinks that beefing
up vehicular armor will benefit the Pakistani military in its intense
engagement with the Taliban and friends on their side of the Afpak divide. But
regardless of this perceived need for better defensive gear, Pakistani forces
are pressing forward with their plan of stamping out Islamist militancy.
Pakistani Army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, whose first
name would cause most English speaking 15-year old boys the world over to
giggle, declared that Taliban leader, Baithullah Mehsud, “must be eliminated,” implying that operations should soon be expanded beyond the Swat Valley to
Waziristan. Though pundits were astonished by his inability to keep his cards
close to his chest, Gen. Kayani is looking to capitalize on a recent momentum
shift; Pakistani
public opinion has recently turned against the Taliban. Civilians in one village,
angered over a suicide attack at a mosque, went as far as to form a militia to
fight militants. Even Qain Zainuddin, a Taliban leader, denounced Mehsud's
terrorist tactics. Civilians in eastern Pakistan were also seen demonstrating
against the Taliban, after a suicide bomb exploded at a mosque in Lahore,
killing a prominent anti-fundamentalist cleric.
A mounting refugee crisis could jeopardize the recent
progress that the Pakistani army has made, however, especially considering that
the militants could
merely be regrouping and may try to recruit disaffected civilians. Some 250,000
refugees from the Swat Valley are expected to remain in camps until the end
of the year. Three
million people have been displaced already, and more are expected with the
upcoming push against militants in Waziristan.
Unwelcome
in other parts of Pakistan, the refugee problem is a major headache for the
virtually
bankrupt government. Though foreign governments are helping out, there is
no place like home for the refugees, who want their nightmare to end as soon as
possible. Just like the Americans in Afghanistan, Kayani
warned, the Pakistani army is going to have to incorporate the well-being
of civilians into any successful long-term strategy.
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