Extra Credit, Afghanistan pEaCe Building

     I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Dr. Daniel Taylor entitled: Afghanistan Peace Building. Dr. Taylor has a deep understanding of the situation in Afghanistan and the difficulties the nation faces. After 30 years of war, the country again finds itself in an escalating battle between outside forces and internal factions. He describes the failed attempt by outsiders to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.  He is criticial of the war on terror and its misplaced emphasis on a military solution to a social problem.  He pionts out that the investment in the war effort at the exspence of rebuilding the country's infrastructure and civil institutions has left the country exhausted.  He feels that there should be a renewed emphasis on investing in the Afghan people, on protecting the rights of woman and bridging the gap between the deep mistrust of the average Afghan and the western aid and NGOs that operate within the country.  

     As I listened to Dr. Taylor I found myself shaking my head in agreement.  I am no expert on Afghanistan, but what he said made sense to me and history is full of failed overseas adventures by the US that emphasized a military solution when the more appropriate response was nation building.  Vietnam and Iraq come to mind as failed military efforts by the US to bring about a desired change.  In my follow up research I discovered that Dr. Taylor is not alone in his view that the US and other western powers need to redirect their efforts to nation building, drug eradication and to better engage the Afghan people in the decision process and solution implementation.  The consensus is that no outside power will be able to impose their will on an unwilling Afghan nation.  The British could not do it at the turn of the century, the Russians could not do it in the 1980s and the US and NATO forces will fail as well.  

-peace