Lessons from Iraq
By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
My colleague Josh Goodman and I published an op-ed today in the Ottawa Citizen that takes a critical look at Canadian defense minister Peter MacKay's stated opposition to attempting an Afghan "Awakening" movement. An excerpt:
The election of Barack Obama and Gen. David Petraeus’s appointment
as the head of U.S. Central Command have brought the U.S. a greater
commitment to the Afghanistan war. Just as one of Gen. Petraeus’s top
priorities upon assuming command of Multi-National Force-Iraq was
changing the coalition forces’ failing strategy, he also wants to
change the approach to Afghanistan.
Much of the United
States’ success in Iraq over the past two years can be attributed to
the rise of the “Awakening” movement, a collection of Sunni tribesmen,
Iraqi nationalists, ex-Baathists, and others who were united by the
goal of driving al-Qaeda from their country. The U.S. has presented a
plan to organize Afghans in a similar manner.
While some
NATO leaders have supported this strategy, Canada has stated its
opposition to attempts to create an Afghan Awakening. Canadian Defence
Minister Peter MacKay recently said that Canada prefers “to continue
with this more formal training process that leads to a more reliable,
more professional soldier and Afghan national security force.”
To assess whether an Afghan Awakening deserves a chance, it is worth understanding the keys to success for Iraq’s Awakening.
It
was a genuinely grassroots movement led by people respected by the
Iraqi population; coalition forces provided the Awakening with
protection, support, and internal diplomatic aid at key points; and
after the Awakening’s success, it was broadened through the “Sons of
Iraq” program, a U.S. initiative that authorized the formation of
paramilitary organizations.
You can read the full op-ed here.
