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A Third Way in Afghanistan

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04.08.2010 at 01:45pm

A Third Way in Afghanistan

by Colonel Gary Anderson

Download the full article: A Third Way in Afghanistan

When Ralph Peters of the New York Post and the editor of the New York Times actually agree on something, it is both an unusual occasion and a cause for reflection. In the case of Hamid Karzai, the leader of Afghanistan, we have one of those rare confluences of agreement. Both concur that Karzai has become more of a liability than an asset. His poorly thought out threat to throw in his lot with Taliban in response to Western disapproval, combined with his inept handling of the war, has lost him critical support in Washington and in Europe. Some Afghans think he may have lost his grip on reality; whatever the cause, he has made few friends in recent weeks among those he needs if he hopes to retain power. None of this bodes well for American strategy in Afghanistan. It is one thing to have an unstable ally in a war; we have dealt with shaky allies in the past. However, an ungrateful and unstable ally may well be too much to ask the American people to bear. It may be time to explore a third option between abandoning Afghanistan and enduring Karzai’s ungrateful and demonstrably corrupt regime.

Download the full article: A Third Way in Afghanistan

Colonel Gary Anderson has peacekeeping experience in Lebanon and Gaza. He has also served in combat in Somalia and advised as a civilian in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is currently lecturing on Alternative Analysis at the Elliot School of George Washington University.

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