In Afghanistan

Two Hundred Years of British, Russian and American Occupation

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David Loyn, developing world correspondent for the BBC and author of In Afghanistan: Two Hundred Years of British, Russian, and American Occupation, expounded upon 200 years of Afghan history as being useful in understanding the problems the U.S. and NATO currently face there. After declaring that clear thinking is needed on Afghanistan, and apparently not currently forthcoming from the Obama Administration, Loyn described his own ten points the U.S. must consider when planning its next move in the country. The two primary failures of the international community, Loyn contended, were not taking account of local conditions and not learning the lessons of history, particularly the deep roots of Islamism in Afghanistan. He vividly described the challenges posed by the terrain in Afghanistan, and the incorrect perception that fundamentalism and sharia law were products of the Taliban. Fundamentalism has been used at various times to create order out of chaos and combat outside forces. Loyn also contended that the corruption most damaging to the Afghan state isn't the petty bribes paid to fighters or police officials, but the "aid juggernaut" that pours massive amounts of money into the country through often-corrupt non-state institutions. Additionally, he stated that NATO and the U.S. must not just try to deal with "moderate" Taliban, but the actual "hard-core" Taliban leadership, otherwise a political solution will be infeasible. Loyn concluded his list of points with emphasizing the need to get a handle on the warlordism situation, thoroughly establish the rule of the law, and declared that "things are drifting, and unless they are grasped, we could be facing a very humiliating withdrawal."

Matthew Caris, research intern with the American Strategy Program