Germany's Afghanistan Strategy

02/02/10

Germany’s shift in its Afghanistan strategy is a welcome step in the right direction. It follows the basics of counter insurgency theory.

The soldiers currently patrol the streets in their heavily armored vehicles and rarely come into contact with the local population. In the future, however, they will conduct all patrols and operations in cooperation with Afghan Security Forces and often travel on foot to show their presence to the Afghans

When fighting an insurgency having soldiers drive around in vehicles, never coming into contact with the local population, creates a distrust among the people towards the soldiers. Going out on foot gives the soldiers an opportunity to interact with the people and foster a better sense of cooperation. By getting to know the people, soldiers can learn who is on their side, and who supports the insurgency. As the local population grows more comfortable with the presence of troops, they will be more inclined to provide information regarding insurgent plants. This strategy was applied during the surge in Iraq and is detailed in The Gamble. From a military stand point it is the right move.

I won’t deal with the politics here, only to say that the successes of counter insurgency tactics in regards to politics in Iraq are less than ideal. It will be up to governments to form a plan that ensures political stability within Afghanistan. Without political stability, the military efforts will be meaningless.

http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/02/natos-third-largest-force-in-afghanistan-changing-its-strategy/