A few days ago, President Obama outlined his plans for the war in Afghanistan, which basically consist of:
* Further increasing the presence of American forces in Afghanistan—4,000 more troops to train Afghan security forces on top of the 17,000 extra combat troops that he already has ordered to Afghanistan.
* Increasing aid to Pakistan to the tune of $1.5 billion every year over the next five years.
* Setting benchmarks to measure progress in fighting Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
The United States will have around 60,000 troops in Afghanistan when the current buildup is complete later this year. (Some are and will continue to be under NATO command—the command structure in Afghanistan is another story)
Of course, American troops are not the only ones in Afghanistan.
Other nations, including NATO allies, have an additional 32,000 troops there now, and that number is likely to increase in the days ahead.
In 2003, NATO took command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that was mandated by the United Nations in 2001.
Through ISAF, NATO’s main role in Afghanistan has been “to assist the Afghan Government in exercising and extending its authority and influence across the country, paving the way for reconstruction and effective governance.”
While there have been several ISAF/NATO commanders on the ground in Afghanistan, the longest serving NATO Secretary General in charge of the overall NATO effort in Afghanistan is a former Royal Netherlands Air Force Officer, Dutch Member of Parliament and Foreign Minister (among other high positions): Jakob Gijsbert de Hoop Scheffer. This is quite a mouthful, but to his friends and colleagues, he goes simply by “Jaap.”
“Jaap” de Hoop Scheffer has been NATO Secretary General since 2004, and in exactly four months, on July 31, de Hoop Scheffer will step down from that position. We have heard what a brand new U.S. President’s plans are for Afghanistan.
It might be interesting to hear the views of the man who has been intimately involved with NATO’s role in that country for over five years.
The Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad recently conducted an interview with the Secretary General. Naturally, many of the questions focused on Afghanistan.
From an article on the interview published today and ominously titled, “Things could be better in Afghanistan,”‘ here are some of those questions and answers:
In Afghanistan the alliance is fighting its first large ground offensive and things are not going well. Is Nato up to the task?
“Nato can’t do it alone. Because the solution in Afghanistan is not a military one. That’s why it’s hard to get the country on the right track. The solution has to come from development, reconstruction and a political process on the Afghan side. Nato is not a humanitarian organisation; we are not aid workers.”
But is Nato up to its military task?
“Yes, even if counter insurgency is a new thing for Nato. This is not a classic conflict between nations but a ‘war amongst the people’, as the former British general Rupert Smith called it. You need to be careful not loose the hearts and minds of the people.
“Nato is up to the task militarily speaking but I admit it doesn’t always come easy. We learn by doing. Sometimes there is not enough political will to contribute troops. A lot of effort has gone into that these past five years. But when I arrived there were less than 6,000 troops and they were all in or around Kabul. Now there are 60,000, spread out across the whole of Afghanistan.
“It is not all good. In the north and the west of the country there is relative stability and development. There is progress in the east. The real challenge is the south, where the Dutch are making a positive contribution.”
The increasing violence in Afghanistan has gone hand in hand with the increase in Western troops? Aren’t you afraid that the troop presence is counterproductive?
“No, I don’t think so. And eighty percent of the Afghan population doesn’t think so. There is still massive support for the troop presence. It’s true that the suicide and roadside bomb attacks are increasing. But 70 percent of the violence happens in 10 percent of the districts. I’m not saying that things are good all around. But if there were no troops at all Afghanistan would be finished. I don’t have to draw a picture of what a return to a Taliban regime would mean – not just for the Afghans but for us too.
“At this moment we still need more troops. We are often not able to hold on to areas that we have cleared of the enemy. And it is an essential element of counter insurgency that you need to show the population that they are better off with us than with the others. So you need to quickly build schools, drill wells, install solar panels…
“There are a number of areas in which we simply have to do a better job. So in that respect I am not leaving as a satisfied man.”
You are frustrated then…?
“Not frustrated, no. But there are things that still need improvement and since this happened on my watch I feel responsible.”
What exactly do you feel responsible for?
“Nothing specific but after five years I have to admit: things could be better in Afghanistan. But I must add: as secretary general I can only do as much as the government of the Nato member states will let me. I have to rely on my powers of conviction.”
De Hoop Scheffer is also asked about the Iraq war, his relationship with and his views of Mr. Bush, torture, the Russian “threat, and, of course, what he perceives to be NATO’s role in our changing world.
And, finally:
What will you do after you leave Nato this summer?
“I’m not going back into Dutch politics. I have said a final goodbye to that. I’m still thinking about what I’m going to do but it is bound to have something to do with international politics. That’s my job and I think it is also what I do best. But my base will be The Hague. We are renovating our house there. My wife wants to pick up her teaching again. It is what she has done all her life and what she had to give up because of my work here.”
To read the entire interview please go here.
Image: www.topnews.in
