Mar 02, 2017 the truth is we didnt get bin laden at tora bora because we made a conscious and very effective decision to go into afghanistan light. Jan 23, 2018 the light footprint approach to counterterrorism that defined the u. The aid afghanistan really needs matt waldman opinion. Nov, 2014 but this model of warfare was neither designed nor suitable for cordoning off swaths of land and capturing or killing the enemies within that region.
Newspaper article international herald tribune obama and lessons from afghanistan. When it comes to western military interventions, light footprints dont work. The book investigates efforts of the international community to keep peace and rebuild states after these have overcome internal war. We mostly talked about the bonn agreement that was signed in december 2001 and the vision of a light international involvement that prevailed at the time the socalled light footprint approach. A heavy footprint, it was feared, would enable the militants to mobilize resistance in the name of islam and afghan nationalism.
Confront and conceal is essential reading for anyone concerned with the current state of american foreign policy in the middle east, pakistan and afghanistan. Light footprint strategy and clarity on threat of pakistan narrowed goals. There has been an increase in taliban and other insurgent control or influence of afghanistan s population from 9 percent in august 2016 to roughly 14 percent in may 2018. School of oriental and african studies university of london. The new team will include two vietnam veterans, senator john kerry and chuck hagel, who bear the scars of a war that ended when the president was a teenager, and a counterterrorism chief, john o. Mercenaries are the silent majority of obamas military. The light footprint in afghanistan needs to be replaced with the right footprint by the u. The international project in afghanistan 2010 astri suhrke chr.
In the beginning, afghanistan looked like an easy win. When it comes to western military interventions, light. Afghanled and have only a light international footprint. Like it or not, the taliban has a supportbase within afghanistan. Oct 25, 2018 is indefinite military presence in the middle east the price of us security. Obamas light footprint strategy, in which the united states strikes from a distance but does not engage in yearslong occupations. Despite the shift back to a light footprint approach and the trump administrations announcement of a new south asia strategy in 2017, the war. It is a deftly written, articulate examination of obamas commitment to the light footprint approach that has been extremely well researched without being overly pedantic or think. Afghanistan could be seen as the farhtest outpost of homeland security. The kite runner by khaled hosseini, a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini, and the mountains echoed by khaled hossein. It seemed the light footprint approach a combination of air raids, special forces, and local militiashad delivered a decisive victory. Afghanistan s judicial branch deteriorated during the soviet occupation, and justice was administered by strict islamic law during the taliban era 19962001. Exploring three strategies for afghanistan govinfo. Dec 08, 2016 how much of the obama doctrine will survive trump.
This would require people to view commitments such as the one in afghanistan in a different light not as a war that will eventually end, but as the farthest outposts of homeland defense. While you never can tell with the trump administration, the outlook for us noninterventionists is surprisingly good. Given his extensive knowledge of the area, he continues to criticise the international communitys approach to afghanistan, and offered those at his talk in maulds meaburn an argument for why a longterm light footprint is a more sensible approach than the. Afghan allies in a campaign that overwhelmed the talibans military forces and overthrew. Has obamas light footprint strategy in the middle east. The legal legacy of lightfootprint warfare c andidate barack obama pledged in 2008 to end the bush administrations heavy military deployments, but not to end the war against alqaeda and its associates.
Charlesedouard bouee proposes light footprint management comparable to a new american military doctrine and similar to a recently emerged chinese management style that subordinates strategy to vision and. Light footprint on paper, unama resembles earlier assistance missions that provided governance and development support to postconflict societies. How al qaeda escaped afghanistan and lived to fight. That philosophy has guided obamas relatively light footprint approach in places as diverse as iraq, syria, yemen, afghanistan and somalia. Aug 25, 2010 in the end, however, the president decided that the skeptics did not offer a viable alternative strategy. School of oriental and african studies university of london the case for a light footprint. Indias afghan dilemma is tougher than ever foreign policy. The governments of afghanistan, pakistan, and iran are corrupted, drugs are passing borders in large quantity, the taliban are using the drugs as a main effort to finance their operations. On afghanistan, theres no way out the new york times. Stanley mcchrystal, born august 14, 1954, fort leavenworth, kansas, u. The competence of the united nations to engage in comprehensive peacebuilding and international territorial administration. Even with a light footprint, its hard to sidestep the middle east a survivor of a september attack by syrian government forces in aleppo. Oct 26, 2018 despite the shift back to a light footprint approach and the trump administrations announcement of a new south asia strategy in 2017, the war is a draw.
Eric cantors foreignpolicy ideas would consign us to. To replace the ad hoc system in place under the transitional government, the constitution of 2004 stipulated that the supreme court include nine justices appointed by the president. The light footprint approach to counterterrorism that defined the u. General austin scott miller was commander of joint special operations command through 2018, and he commanded u. Oct 24, 2018 this would require people to view commitments like the one in afghanistan in a different light not as a war that will eventually end, but as the farthest outposts of homeland defense. Sep 28, 2009 at a time where the outcome of the war in afghanistan hangs in the balance when high ranking military officers are asking for more troops i believe the lightfootprint approach put forth in this paper will not only work, but will help to ease the increasing need for larger and larger numbers of us soldiers being deployed to afghanistan. What can managers in todays uncertain, unimaginably complex world learn from president obama and top chinese executives. In the wake of the wars in iraq and afghanistan, president barack obama has sought to avoid becoming embroiled in. Jun 29, 2016 there are limitations to the light footprint approach. Rumsfeld and company believed in a light footprint strategy, in which there would be few boots on the ground and most of the fighting would be done by cia and special forcesbacked militias. Nov 18, 2012 even with a light footprint, its hard to sidestep the middle east a survivor of a september attack by syrian government forces in aleppo. Its true that the light footprint approach employed by the administration cannot bring stability to these countries, but the large footprint approach is too expensive and dangerous. But circumstances in afghanistan, iraq and syria have led america toward a mediumfootprint strategy in which several thousand u. The sensible conclusion to be drawn from this, then, is that the u.
There has been an increase in taliban and other insurgent control or influence of afghanistans population from 9 percent in august 2016 to roughly 14 percent in may 2018. Although he reluctantly authorized a military surge in afghanistan in. Afghanistan would represent the us militarys first hybrid war challenge since being shaped. Mcchrystal was born to a military family, and his father attained the rank of major general during the post. The rise of militant islam in central asia new york. Sometimes you dont achieve your objectives because the proxy or indigenous forces do not have interests that are in direct alignment. The piece is anchored around the observation that a lot of things are bad in the middle east right now syria, irans nuclear program, a war between israel and gaza militants and that obama has taken a light footprint approach to the region, ergo the light footprint is to blame. Sof exemplify the light footprint approach, yet deliver disproportionately high value in small numbers due to. In 2010, afghanistan was ranked the worlds second most corrupt nation, behind only somalia. A mission on the scale of east timors transitional administration was not necessary and not possible, according to lakhdar brahimi.
Afghanistan in particular covers a large geographic area with substantial rugged and mountainous terrain, making it highly unlikely that a small force could adequately secure the safe havens held by terrorist groups. The terrible price of security in a hostile world the. We kicked it off by talking about the week and months that followed the fall of the taliban regime. New technologies will determine how future conflicts are fought and won. President obamas counterterrorism strategy in the war on.
Light footprint in afghanistan could hold lessons for iraq. There are also domestic constraints within the principal nato countries and signs that a longterm military involvement in afghanistan on the present scale is politically impossible. Lightfootprint war president obamas rejection of a boots on the ground approachand his devo. It is also a humbling experience for several reasons. The idea of a light military footprint may appear attractive and effective, but it will not work in reality.
Assisted by local militias, the united states toppled the taliban, crippled alqaeda and installed a friendly government protected by u. He said that as president he would keep a small residual force in iraq to target alqaeda remnants, and promised to take the fight to al. Transformation and the war in afghanistan air university. More than eight years after the usled intervention in afghanistan in october 2001, assessments of the international mission to neutralize the taliban and reform the countrys social, economic and political institutions are almost universally grim. Best nonfiction war books, around the world one book from each country, best iraq and afghanistan war books, best books on special forces m. And as the terrible price of security in a hostile world. That doctrine shaped the presidents thinking about how to deal with the challenges that followed libya, syria and a nuclear iran. Michelsen institute i thank you for inviting me to be part of this occasion. Aug 24, 2017 when it comes to afghanistan, weve tried everything. Middle east challenges obamas light footprint the new. It was just one brief exchange about afghanistan with an aide late in 2009, but it suggests how president obamas thinking about what he once called a war of necessity began to radically. Brennan, who helped devise the light footprint strategy of limiting u. Although he reluctantly authorized a military surge in afghanistan in 2009, the president appears determined not to employ conventional ground troops in new military operations.
Essentially this means putting few if any american boots on the ground, and instead relying on training and arming proxy forces such as the yemeni, pakistani, or the iraqi military while staging air strikes to eliminate. Rather than risking troops on the ground, the strategy utilized is indiscriminate violence via air strikes which, according to stathis kalyvas in his book the logic of violence in civil war, is at best ineffective and at worse counterproductive. President obama has achieved the dubious distinction of having been the longest continuous war president in american history, and this title explores how obama pursued and expanded executive war power in key areas, simultaneously committing to a light footprint approach for u. Eric cantors foreignpolicy ideas would consign us to perpetual war the house majority leader believes u. Nick mcdonells striking new book about americas forever war, the bodies in person, is a call to contain or minimize one kind of outrageous violence. The eighth anniversary of our presence in afghanistan approaches at a time of. Fighting and winning in the gray zone war on the rocks. Drugs and bribes are the countrys largest income generators. Is indefinite military presence in the middle east the price. The light footprint approach proved very effective across afghanistan in vanquishing militants from local strongholds.
But there are mixed views over whether the uns light footprint approach in afghanistan, still very much a work in progress, would be effective in iraq. In the wake of the wars in iraq and afghanistan, president barack obama. More than eight years after the usled intervention in afghanistan in october 2001, assessments of the international mission to neutralize the taliban and reform the countrys social, economic and. Learning from a lightfootprint america second military strategy. Learning from a light footprint america second military strategy. Jun 28, 2011 consequently, an additional 30,000 us troops were dispatched, making clear the abandonment of the bushrumsfeld light footprint approach. Despite the shift back to a light footprint approach and the trump administrations announcement of a new south asia strategy in 2017, the war is a draw.
Obama is seen by president trumps advisers as overly cautious, mr. Its narrative which claims to be fighting foreign oppression has more resonance a decade after 911 than it did in the early years when the western strategy involved a light footprint. On the other hand, obama massively surged troops while keeping these same paramilitary forces on. Furthermore, the light footprint approach made training the afghan army nearly impossible due to force protection. How al qaeda escaped afghanistan and lived to fight another day. Oct 22, 2018 but circumstances in afghanistan, iraq and syria have led america toward a mediumfootprint strategy in which several thousand u. Peter feaver national security council member said it. The bush administration had already tried a lightfootprint approach in afghanistan, and. To minimize that risk, he has adopted a light footprint approach to. United states should embrace a light footprint approach to coin. Revisiting the first 102 days of the war on terror cicero.
It is time to revitalize and redouble our efforts toward stabilizing afghanistan and rethink our economic and military strategies to ensure that the level of our commitment is commensurate. Although the light footprint approach can help a nation avoid longterm conflicts that are costly in lives and treasure. Oct 06, 2009 this approach, the essence of the rumsfeld light footprint concept that dominated most of the bush presidency, led us to place most american troops in afghanistan under a separate command. The bush administration had already tried a lightfootprint approach in afghanistan, and it had resulted in the talibans comeback including. In afghanistan, a lightfootprint strategy has some significant disad vantages. There are a number of reasons for this approach, much of which is centered around domestic western politics. Us strategy for pakistan and afghanistan council on foreign.
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