NATO Can't Win the War in Afghanistan, Afghans Can
Roger Cohen, The New York Times | September 8, 2008
The war in Afghanistan stands at a critical juncture; the Taliban-led insurgency is gaining in effectiveness and influence. ++ The US troop surge planned to counter this threat is no remedy in itself. ++ NATO should develop a national reconciliation program which would bring ex-Taliban moderates into politics. ++ It is also crucial that the number of Afghan soldiers doubles, their salaries rise, and they are better trained by US troops. ++ The Afghan army must be the cornerstone of NATO strategy in the region, as only it can win this war.
Ukraine is approaching its third election in two years, a sign of its government’s volatility. ++ In response, the EU should put Ukraine on a clear road to accession, an albeit controversial move that is nevertheless in its vital interest. ++ Furthermore, the EU must invest economically in Ukraine, thereby bringing stability and growth to a region that could otherwise fall prey to the divisive Russian strategies seen in South Ossetia. ++ Such a move is not anti-Russian, but rather a necessary step for the EU to secure its eastern border.
When Condoleezza Rice had dinner with Libya’s dictator Moammar Gaddafi on Friday, she became the first US secretary of state to visit Libya since 1953. ++ Recently, Libya has worked with the US to end its nuclear weapons program and helped fight al-Qaeda. ++ US oil interests were also on the agenda for Rice’s visit; however, Gaddafi’s domestic repression was ignored. ++ Sen. Joe Biden is a strong critic of the administration’s failure to advocate Libyan human rights and, if elected, may change the US-Libyan agenda.
The former colony India is now confronted with separatists who call for an independent Kashmir. ++ India’s governance of the region was dreadful at times, but it is still a legitimate democracy. ++ Nobody should oppose an independent Kashmir, but instead they should ask for a consensual secession by taking a vote in Kashmir and in India. ++ The “Idea of India” would not be wounded if it let Kashmir go. ++ The state should improve the daily life of its citizens to convince them that India is worth defending.
The system of international relations is based on the idea of nation-states, but the concept has deficits: the entity of a cultural community should legitimize a state’s rule, but very often cultural identities do not coincide with a political body. ++ Moreover, today’s challenges, e.g., climate change or terrorism, are global and need to be addressed in a broad way. ++ Policy makers should redefine self-interests, so that the term encompasses universal principles such as human rights, and fight for their global recognition.
