Credulity Has To Make A Stand In Afghanistan

An Afghan Villager Surveys The Results of US Cultural Awareness

The U.S. Army's field manual on counterinsurgency (COIN), supervised by Gen. David Petraeus, emphasizes, "Successful conduct of COIN operations depends on thoroughly understanding the society and culture within which they are being conducted." Yet exactly one year ago, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, at the time the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, confessed in a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, that, despite his years of command experience in the country, "there is much in Afghanistan that I do not understand." I believed him then on that one, and even more do I believe him now.

Petraeus, who has since replaced McChrystal, is clearly sensitive toward tribal politics - a key element of his strategy is to exploit fissures between the tribal leaders and the Taliban insurgents. But the tribal lines are so complex and intermingled, the central and provincial entities supposedly governing them are so weak or corrupt, and the border with Pakistan is such a staging post for the various anti-occupation groups that Petraeus and Nato are pissing in the wind. Even their spin scripts are showing wear and tear. As Doctor Johnson said, 'Sooner or later credulity has to make a stand'. The time for that stand was years ago.