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.