December 1, 2009
In a prime time address to the nation President Obama announced an escalation of 30,000 additional U.S. troops for Afghanistan. In his speech he outlined three core elements of this new strategy:
These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.
Read a previous blog post on a strategy for peace in Afghanistan.
Read some Afghan reactions to the president’s announcement.
Mennonite Church USA Bulletin Insert.
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Posted by Theo Sitther
November 25, 2009
Source: Wikipedia
After almost three months of speculation, it appears that President Obama is set to announce a new Afghanistan strategy. News sources are reporting that the president will outline his strategy in a prime time address to the nation on Tuesday, December 1st. Mr. Obama is expected to announce an increase in U.S. military deployment to Afghanistan. The Washington Post reports that the increase could be as much as 30,000 additional U.S. troops with perhaps another 10,000 added forces from NATO allies.
At a press conference yesterday Mr. Obama said, “I’ve also indicated that after eight years — some of those years in which we did not have, I think, either the resources or the strategy to get the job done — it is my intention to finish the job. And I feel very confident that when the American people hear a clear rationale for what we’re doing there and how we intend to achieve our goals, that they will be supportive.”
Much of the focus in the debate over U.S. strategy in Afghanistan has centered on the U.S. military goals and troop levels. Afghanistan, however, needs a strategy that goes beyond military goals. If the U.S. intends to make progress and “finish the job,” Mr. Obama’s “clear rationale” must at least include the following elements:
- Genuine economic and community development efforts;
- Robust regional and local diplomacy;
- Protection of civilian populations by dramatically reducing air strikes and drone attacks;
- Address corruption and help foster a legitimate Afghan government.
When President Obama makes his announcement next week, his plan for Afghanistan must refocus away from a military only approach to a genuine peacebuilding effort.
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Posted by Theo Sitther
October 20, 2009
The current public discourse about Afghanistan is largely focused on U.S. national security interest rather than the needs of the Afghan people. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, has requested at least 40,000 additional U.S. troops in order to quell an insurgency. The Obama administration is weighing its options, while many politicians and the U.S. public are wary about committing more resources to a war that has dragged on for more than eight years. A fundamental change in approach is in order. The United States must make genuine efforts to address the underlying causes of poverty, conflict and insecurity. MCC partners in Afghanistan are clear in saying that sustainable economic development can mitigate conflict and bring peace. The United States must work to prioritize these efforts. Unfortunately, even small U.S. efforts for economic development have been militarized through the use of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs).
A PRT is a military unit with embedded civilian personnel that is responsible for development and reconstruction efforts. The use of PRTs in Afghanistan has become widely accepted as the new model for civil-military cooperation and an interagency approach to economic development. This, however, presents some serious problems and concerns.
In short the use of PRTs raise the following concerns:
- Using the military as tool for development and reconstruction is the wrong tool for the job and works to undermine long term sustainability.
- PRTs divert funds and resources from sustainable development efforts.
- PRTs essentially have the effect of militarizing aid and its use infringes upon humanitarian space.
MCC has produced a brief that outlines the problems with using PRTs in Afghanistan.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan (PDF)
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Posted by Theo Sitther
August 5, 2009
The BBC reported today that three children were killed during the night in an air strike led by international forces, according to Afghan villagers. While the US military confirmed that it had “killed four insurgents on motorcycles in the area of the alleged airstrikes,” the military could not confirm if civilians had been killed in the attack.
Source: BBC News
The article describes the villagers’ outrage following the deaths of the children in the airstrike:
The villagers shouted “Death to America! Death to infidels!” as they displayed the corpses in the back of a pickup truck. The father of the dead boys, Abdur Rahim, told AP that he heard a pair of helicopters circling over his compound early on Wednesday before they fired two missiles that hit his home. His brother and another son were wounded, he said.
“What was the fault of my innocent children? They were not Taliban,” Mr Rahim said. “Did they come here to build our country or kill our innocent children?”
The ongoing deaths of children, women, and men continue to increase the sense of resentment that Afghan civilians feel toward pro-government forces. As such, U.S. and international forces must prioritize reducing the number of civilians killed in Afghanistan.
Click here to read the full article.
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Posted by Meara Dietrick
July 31, 2009
Source: UNAMA
A newly released UN report notes that civilian deaths in Afghanistan continue to increase. According to a BBC article highlighting the report, the number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan “so far this year has risen by 24% compared with the same period last year.” During the first six months of this year “[m]ore than 1,000 people were killed.”
Although the UN report attributes the majority of deaths to insurgent groups, it notes that government-allied forces were responsble for two-thirds of the casualties. The large number of civilian deaths resulting from airstrikes continues to be troubling. The new commander of both US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley MacChrystal, declared in June that minimizing civilian casualties must be a priority. The number of deaths, however, has yet to decrease. In fact, the report warns that the number of civilian deaths will likely continue rising in light of the upcoming elections and the U.S. troop increase.
More needs to be done to reduce the number of Afghan civilians killed. The high number of civilian deaths only increases the level of insecurity and does little to “win the hearts and minds” of the Afghan people.
Click here to read the BBC News article on the UN report.
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Posted by Meara Dietrick
July 6, 2009
Suraya Sadeed/Help the Afghan Children
Meara Dietrick writes for Thirdway Café about the impact of civilian deaths in Afghanistan. Civilians have been affected the most by continued insecurity and war. She notes that protecting civilians can go a long way toward bringing peace and security:
Rather than winning the “hearts and minds” of the people, the high number of civilian deaths is increasingly alienating the Afghan population. Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. State Department, observed on her recent visit to Afghanistan that Afghan civilians deeply desire “to be able to have a livelihood, to be able to care for their families, to be able to not feel threatened in terms of their well-being from the conflict that surrounds them.”
As levels of insecurity in Afghanistan escalate, many Afghan families are feeling increasingly unable to care for and protect their families. The high number of civilians killed as a result of U.S. and international forces leads not only to growing resentment toward those forces, but also contributes to the growth of insurgent groups.
In order to bring security and peace to Afghanistan, all efforts must be made to protect the lives of civilians. We must encourage the U.S. government to actively work towards a new strategy for Afghanistan that protects and upholds the well-being of Afghan civilians.
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Posted by Theo Sitther
June 22, 2009
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), one billion people worldwide now suffer from hunger. The recent global economic crisis and high food prices have exacerbated the problem of malnutrition. BBC News
AP Photo
notes:
The director general of the FAO said the level of hunger, one-sixth of the world’s population, posed a “serious risk to world peace and security. The UN said almost all of the world’s undernourished live in developing countries, with the most, some 642 million people, living in Asia-Pacific region. In sub-Saharan Africa, the next worst-hit region, the figure stands at 265 million.
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Posted by Mary Stata
June 19, 2009
Aung San Suu Kyi (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Today is Aung San Suu Kyi’s 64th birthday. Suu Kyi is Burma’s pro-democracy opposition leader. She has spent the past 13 years under detention by the Burmese military government, mostly under house arrest. In 1990 Burma held elections and Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide. However, the military refused to recognize the results and she was put under house arrest.
In recent developments Suu Kyi was taken out of her house and put in jail on charges of violating the terms of her arrest because of an uninvited American visitor to her home. She celebrated her 64th birthday by sharing rice and chocolate cake with her prison guards.
Burma’s internal conflict is one of the longest running in the world. The Burmese military has systematically attacked ethnic minorities and political dissidents. Over a million people have been forcibly displaced.
On the occasion of Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday world leaders and activists have spoken out against her detention and have called for democracy and peace within Burma.
Visit 64forsuu.org to read messages from around the world and to leave your own message for Suu Kyi.
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Posted by Theo Sitther
June 19, 2009
This week the United Nations refugee agency released its annual report, updating the figures of displaced peoples worldwide. The Global Trends report found that there are 42 million people uprooted, including 16 million refugees and asylum seekers and 26 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Continuing violence in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Iraq, 
and Colombia have caused millions to flee their homes in search of safety.
The report’s numbers indicate a decrease from 2007 statistics. However, conflicts in early 2009 (particularly in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Somalia) have already offset this difference.
Mennonite Central Committee operates in many countries affected by displaced persons. In the Darfur region of Sudan, the displaced population tops two million. Recent fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in 1.5 million displaced. 2008 was the worst year for internal displacement in Colombia, with numbers reaching four million.
In honor of World Refugee Day, countries around the world are hosting events to commemorate the millions displaced from their homes.
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Posted by Mary Stata
May 22, 2009
Mary Stata writes about reforming U.S. foreign aid in the latest issue of PeaceSigns. An excerpt:
Foreign aid is the primary policy avenue for the United States to help alleviate poverty and hunger. America’s primary legislation governing foreign aid took effect in the 1960s. The development challenges of the 21st century differ greatly from those of the 1960s, but the legislation remains unreformed. An alarming consequence of outdated foreign aid is the increasing role the Department of Defense plays in distributing aid and engaging in development work. The military’s massive budget allows it to fill in the gaps created by an inefficient and under-resourced foreign aid system.
Currently, the United States’ global development policies and programs are scattered throughout 12 departments, 25 agencies, and nearly 60 government offices. A more cohesive foreign aid system would improve efficiency, accountability, and effectiveness. In an uncertain economic climate, it is sensible to use US foreign aid dollars cogently and in a fiscally responsible manner.
Rep. Howard Berman (CA-28) and Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10) recently introduced H.R. 2139, a bill that initiates several reforms of the foreign aid system. The bill requires the president to develop and implement a strategy for global development, improves evaluation of development programs, and increases transparency of U.S. foreign aid to developing countries.
You can send a letter urging support for this bill to your representative by clicking here. The rest of the article is available in PeaceSigns.
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Posted by Gabe Schlabach
