The Kandahar Offensive: Avoid the Snake Oil
The Kandahar Offensive: Avoid the Snake Oil
by Captain Jonathan Pan
Download the full article: The Kandahar Offensive: Avoid the Snake Oil
Sometimes doing nothing or doing less is better than doing anything in a counterinsurgency. However, the preference of action over inaction is deeply embedded within the United States military if not within the American culture as a whole. Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell and Capt. Mark R. Hagerott, of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, recently offered a new metaphor for describing Afghanistan: “think of the country as an ailing patient — in many ways analogous to a weakened person under attack by an aggressive infection.” To cure this infection, they’ve suggested that the body, mind, and spirit of the nation must be addressed. In my opinion, to prevent a stalemate or worse in the upcoming Kandahar operations, senior decision makers should avoid snake oil in an attempt at curing this infection.
Download the full article: The Kandahar Offensive: Avoid the Snake Oil
Captain Jonathan Pan is serving in Afghanistan. The views in this article are solely of the author and not those of the Department of Defense.
