Georgetown/On Faith

Taking the long view in Afghanistan

ISLAM AND THE WEST

By Daniel Brumberg

President Hamid Karzai's last minute agreement to hold a second round of presidential elections on November 7 could be nothing more than a cynical ploy. The notion that the international community can work with domestic monitors to effectively prepare for such elections in the next 16 days, and that this run-off will produce a credible victor, is questionable.

Yet, even if motivated by a seemingly insatiable quest to remain in office, Karzai's decision represents a victory for the international community and for the United Nations in particular. I do not know of another more dramatic example of the U.N. intervening to reverse a fraudulent election. Yes, perhaps it took the resignation of Peter Galbaith. Yes, from the outset the U.N. was reluctant to act. But, in the end, it did the right thing.

The Obama administration deserves some credit for this turn of events. For no matter what course of action it takes in terms of increasing U.S. troop levels, or in terms of redefining the mission, no strategy can succeed if Afghanistan's people view their government as totally corrupt, illegitimate and ineffective. If the very national police, whose mission it is to provide security, are acting as predators, the struggle against the Taliban will have little chance of success. And if the U.S. is seen as supporting a president who has stolen an election, we might as well pack up our bags and go home.

Still, to use a metaphor that is not wholly appropriate for Afghanistan, we are hardly out of the woods yet. Indeed, because the rot in the country's political system should have been addressed two or three years ago (if not long before), the search for a quick electoral fix was always unrealistic. Why should Karzai--who the previous U.S. administration promoted, and who initially enjoyed widespread popular support--not assume that he had a free hand to consolidate his rule? Why should he fear that the U.S. would cease fighting the Taliban if he refused to act democratically? We have security interests, right?

These Realist calculations find an echo wherever the U.S. has tackled security challenges by advancing nation-building. In places as diverse as Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, Washington has faced a similar dilemma.

On the one hand, to consolidate the authority of emerging or weak states, it has backed election procedures, constitutions or laws that are far from perfect. (In 1996, as an election observer in Palestine, I saw this dynamic up close and personal). On the other hand, after delaying the effort to repair the damage ensuing from these flawed political arrangements, Washington has pushed for new initiatives (such as elections) that our allies have duly resisted or manipulated to protect their own power. When this dynamic then exacerbates social, political or ethno-religious divisions, state authority is once again jeopardized, and we are back to square one.

How can we help our friends (and their competitors) exit this corrosive cycle? It helps if leaders are ready to resolve their differences peacefully. Thus when President Karzai's chief rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, reacted to voter fraud by holding press conferences, rather than calling on his supporters to take up arms, he enhanced the prospects for a non-violent approach. It also helps if the U.S. uses its diplomatic, strategic or economic leverage to prod all parties towards such a solution. When Rahm Emanuel publicly stated that U.S. strategy would be partly conditioned on a credible "Afghan partner," he got Kabul's attention.

This hardly resolves the question of how best to use U.S. troops, an issue that Karzai has effectively thrown back in our faces by accepting a run-off. But whatever military strategy we adopt, no approach will work if Washington down-plays the long term challenges of governance, corruption and legitimacy.

Some say that this is "Mission Impossible." They point to the failures of local and foreign forces to pacify Afghanistan, or they argue that the heart of the problem lies next door, in Pakistan, a state whose intelligence forces have sometimes backed Islamist militants in a cynical ploy to justify subordinating civilian to military authority.

All of this is true. But the security problems that Afghanistan poses for itself, the region, and the international community will always resist one-dimensional solutions. Even if, as I have written, the pressures for the U.S. to both stay and leave Afghanistan are equally strong, the Obama administration must find an effective way to navigate between these competing logics. This will be a tough sell, as much (if not more) at home than abroad.

Daniel Brumberg is Co-Director of Georgetown University's Democracy and Governance Program and is Acting Director of the Muslim World Initiative at the United States Institute of Peace.

By Daniel Brumberg |  October 21, 2009; 3:18 PM ET

 | Category:  Georgetown/On Faith , Islam and the West Save & Share:  Send E-mail   Facebook   Twitter   Digg   Yahoo Buzz   Del.icio.us   StumbleUpon   Technorati  
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For CCNL's Eyes only and whom never Seen:


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-- On M. Kesslers post @ 11:59P; CCNL Freudiantly slippeth and says, "Many of us [OnWAPO here] who bravely criticize Islam on a daily basis on this blog [includes the Pastes & repaste/posts] are aware of this danger and would immediately fear for our lives if our names were made known."

Ummmm. Upon Analysis it does Sound like CCNL1 is A "PARANOID SCHIZOFRENIC" and one who has an acute bout of "RELIGIOUS JEALOUSY PSYCHOSIS" with a dab/pinch of "PRE-APOCALYPTIC SiNDROME" and more mental/Dilusions/Illusions.

PS: CCNL1 , on another post, knowingly stealing someone elses brilliance; and uses it as if his original-work said, "Drones should be equiped with NAPALM and every 6 months dropped from America to destroy the POPY Fields" [Similar said].

Hint: In order to Kill the TAliban/Al-Queda Crews; NAPALM droppings should be persistant on All OPIUM/HASH fields and should be done BEFORE, DURING and AFTER Harvest Seasons. Hence how to kill the Taliban/Al-Qaeda Islamic Muslim/Moslem/Muzzlmen Jihaddist International Religio-Mafia's in less that 3 years REMOTELY [No need for U.S/Allies/Soldiers] Only U.N. oversight.

So, Bring back them well-Paid BOYS & GIRLS on U.S. Soil for more Important Work/Jobs ; Mr. President!

Posted by: THE-REVELATOR | October 24, 2009 8:31 AM
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Well, the weekend is here and our "new" "gibberisher" is hard at work knowing that the moderators are off for the weekend. Adding a bit of free space got the moderators' early attention last week. Let see how it works this week.
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Posted by: ccnl1 | October 24, 2009 8:07 AM
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BREAKING -- NEWS: Good Riddence:

"OSAMA BIN LADINS GRAVE WAS FOUND 10 minutes AGO"

More Details coming soon.

Note: OSAMA BID LADEN really really Died of Kidney Failure around June 2007. The Hash and the Opium stopped helping him. So he also died a Drug Addict!

Roomer also has it that He Matyred himself to meetup with 72 Cloudy looking wingy thingy Virgins and with two other friends, as he cowardly Blew-up his own dieing Body, to many peaces, as his family watched, from a distance, and then, the Poshtune roomer goes, that his

wives/Kids/worshipers/congregants/followers saved his Hide/skin and Bones for Souveniers and or place his remains in Entrances of Caves.

Eeeeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Amazing, NO GRACE! n NO-Class!

Posted by: THE-REVELATOR | October 24, 2009 1:25 AM
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Sir:

For your Ex-Pagan Idol Worshipers suddenly turned "JUDEO-abe-ISLAMIC -Ummah", (or Suddenly got Religion) you should see that Islamic-TURKEY (not SECULAR!) is on Stolen Land from the E. Orthodox GREEKS (CYPRUS). Not ancient Israel. And Islamic-PAKISTAN is on Stolen' Landa from Peacefull, but ancient Hindu-INDIA, not to mention the stolen Islamic-BANGLADESHA, and not from ancient Israel.

Recommendation: Pakistan should gather All their Flocks, Camels, horses, goats, carts and make one big DIASPORAH leaving India's real Land , includes leaving Stolen Islamic-Kashmere et al, into Islamic-AFGHANISTAN, where Ex-Hindu's turned Islamic really belong. Afghani's and Pakistani's are the Same!

Note: When leaving East Hindu Baluchistan into Afghanistan; that Ex-Paki's must surrender their SUNNI-A-BOMBs to India or the West in order to supply then Nuclear Electric generation 'Enriched Uranium.

Beware: Islic Turkey has deliberately held back Paying It's Debt. It is in Debt for +/- 120 Billion Dollars. Now, it is breaking-up with Israel and joining , as a United Economic & Military Complex Islamic-POWERS with Syria, Gulf States etc.. Yet Turkey, instead of Paying is gonna become another Islamic FACIST , or

the rise of the NEW-ISLAMIC-GERMANY. Religious Jealousy has awakend them JUDEO-abe-ISLAMICs , aka Muslims/Moslems/Muzzlmen, again.

Recommendation: Tell the NEW Turkish "SELJUKs" or the "AL TAQIYAH"ists New=SULTANICs , aka KORANOHOLICS, to get out of our Stolen CYPRUS , not Islamic-Turkey by next year or else Get all your Land Taken on the EUROPE Side:

West , Opposite of E. INSTANBUL starting At THRACE and all the way to the DARDANEILLES Straits, Sea of MARMALA and BOSPHOROUS straits; thus guaranteeing Russia Ingress, Egress at all times; AND

Then Turkey can exchange All of Europes Side THRACE for the Island of CYPRUS. So Al Cypruns will evacuate/Diasporah to Thrace.

The YOKE OF Turkish NATIONALISM ISLAM is comming, via Jealousy, with a Satanic vengence, via Satanic Versing Pretexts...

Please see a 2003 Article and Prophetic Warnings via ROCKAFELLA and Co., hereunder.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjBlYTliMzA4M2VlYmM0N2UyZGY4ZmE1MjEwODI4YWQ=

Posted by: THE-REVELATOR | October 23, 2009 11:48 PM
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Dr. Blumberg,

In the last three hours, twenty-one people were killed in Pakistan, and thirty-two were injured.

Posted by: Farnaz1Mansouri1 | October 23, 2009 11:41 PM
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And who initiated some of the historic horrors of ethnic interactions we still imitate yet today??

Exodus 32: 3,000 Israelites killed by Moses for worshipping the golden calf.

Numbers 31: After killing all men, boys and married women among the Midianites, 32,000 virgins remain as booty for the Israelites. (If unmarried girls are a quarter of the population, then 96,000 people were killed.)

Joshua:

Joshua 8: 12,000 men and women, all the people of Ai, killed.

Joshua 10: Joshua completely destroys Gibeon ("larger than Ai"), Makeddah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir. "He left no survivors."

Joshua 11: Hazor destroyed. [Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews (1987), estimates the population of Hazor at ?> 50,000]
TOTAL: if Ai is average, 12,000 x 9 = 108,000 killed.

Judges 1: 10,000 Canaanites k. at Battle of Bezek. Jerusalem and Zephath destroyed.

Judges 3: ca. 10,000 Moabites k. at Jordan River.

Judges 8: 120,000 Midianite soldiers k. by Gideon

Judges 20: Benjamin attacked by other tribes. 25,000 killed.

1 Samuel 4: 4,000 Isrealites killed at 1st Battle of Ebenezer/Aphek. 30,000 Isr. k. at 2nd battle.

David:

2 Samuel 8: 22,000 Arameans of Damascus and 18,000 Edomites killed in 2 battles.

2 Samuel 10: 40,000 Aramean footsoldiers and 7,000 charioteers killed at Helam.

2 Samuel 18: 20,000 Israelites under Absalom killed at Ephraim.

1 Kings 20: 100,000 Arameans killed by Israelites at Battle of Aphek. Another 27,000 killed by collapsing wall.

2 Chron 13: Judah beat Israel and inflicted 500,000 casualties.

2 Chron 25: Amaziah, king of Judah, k. 10,000 from Seir in battle and executed 10,000 POWs. Discharged Judean soldiers pillaged and killed 3,000.

2 Chron 28: Pekah, king of Israel, slew 120,000 Judeans

TOTAL: That comes to about 1,283,000 mass killings specifically enumerated in the Bible.

Posted by: ccnl1 | October 23, 2009 11:29 PM
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I have to say, Dr. Blumberg, America will destroy not only Afghanistan but the entire nation of Pakistan and it has contributed significantly to the destabilization of Bangladesh, hilarious, since stability is virtually unknown there. (India has not helped either.)

The US and Europe has turned a blind eye to the Lybian recruitment of Bangaladeshi men to fight in Afghanistan, as they train in STARVING Bangladesh.

The US provoked the Russians into a war with Afghanistan, brought the Taliban to power with Saudi help. The US and the Saudis put Zia on the throne of Pakistan, ending whatever hopes Pakistan may have had for a future.

What are you going to do next? Egypt is shooting Sudanese refugees in the back as they flee to Israel, which they've been doing for six years. The US is "conciliating" with the genociding Sudanese regime. Why? Chinese markets. And, of course, we would not want to alienate the murdering Egyptians, the murderer Mubarak.

Hard to be an American sometimes.

Posted by: Farnaz1Mansouri1 | October 23, 2009 7:10 PM
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Talk about being brainwashed by Islam!!! "Yasseryousufi" needs some real help and help is here with the Five Step Method to Deprogram/"Deflaw" 1400 years of Islamic mumbo jumbo. (apparently he missed the first ten publications of said method).

Are you ready?

Using "The 77 Branches of Islamic "faith" a collection compiled by Imam Bayhaqi as a starting point. In it, he explains the essential virtues that reflect true "faith" (iman) through related Qur’anic verses and Prophetic sayings." i.e. a nice summary of the Koran and Islamic beliefs.

"1. Belief in Allah"

aka as God, Yahweh, Zeus, Jehovah, Mother Nature, etc." should be added to your cleansing neurons.

"2. To believe that everything other than Allah was non-existent. Thereafter, Allah Most High created these things and subsequently they came into existence."
Evolution and the Big Bang or the "Gib Gnab" (when the universe starts to recycle) are more plausible and the "akas" for Allah should be included if you continue to be a "creationist".

"3. To believe in the existence of angels."
A major item for neuron cleansing. Angels/devils are the mythical creations of ancient civilizations, e.g. Hittites, to explain/define natural events, contacts with their gods, big birds, sudden winds, protectors during the dark nights, etc. No "pretty/ugly wingy thingies" ever visited or talked to Mohammed, Jesus, Mary or Joseph or Joe Smith. Today we would classify angels as fairies and "tinker bells". Modern devils are classified as the demons of the demented.

continued below:

Posted by: ccnl1 | October 23, 2009 6:15 PM
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"4. To believe that all the heavenly books that were sent to the different prophets are true. However, apart from the Quran, all other books are not valid anymore."
Another major item to delete. There are no books written in the spirit state of Heaven (if there is one) just as there are no angels/"pwtfft"s to write/publish/distribute them. The Koran, OT, NT etc. are simply books written by humans for humans.

Prophets were invented by ancient scribes typically to keep the uneducated masses in line. Today we call them fortune tellers.
Prophecies are also invalidated by the natural/God/Allah gifts of Free Will and Future.

"5. To believe that all the prophets are true. However, we are commanded to follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) alone."

Mohammed spent thirty days fasting in a hot cave before his first contact with Allah aka God etc. via a "pretty wingy thingy". Common sense demands a neuron deletion of #5. #5 is also the major source of Islamic violence i.e. turning Mohammed's "fast, hunger-driven" hallucinations into horrible reality for unbelievers.

Accept these five "cleansers" and we guarantee a complete recovery from your Islamic ways!!!!

Hmmm, one, however, wonders if "Yasseryousufi" might be a Pashtun drug lord? And is not drug running/use against the koran??

For a better view of the Pashtun history see: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/pakistan2.htm

And burning those poppy fields on a six month basis continues to look like the way to go in Afghanistan.

Posted by: ccnl1 | October 23, 2009 6:14 PM
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test

Posted by: ccnl1 | October 23, 2009 6:12 PM
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oops I meant 50 Million strong Pashtun race.......just made your job harder I guess.

Posted by: yasseryousufi | October 23, 2009 3:53 PM
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The cost of US in Afghanistan is $3.6 Billion per month. Al-Qaida is just two guys sitting in a cave. You are effectively fighting the 5 million strong Pashtun race, which has in the past successfully tackled super powers like Cyrus of Persia, Alexander of Macedonia, The Commies of USSR and the Brits who used to say the sun doesnt set in our empire! All of them made the folly of fighting them in their own backyard. The Pashtuns believe they can never be defeated in their own country and you bet they dont like being occupied! They'll fight till the last one of them is alive. its just the way they're programmed. Not much thought process goes with these guys. They're just like the bees who've been told to attack the one who attacks their hive without asking questions.

America you need to make a decision. Is this war worth fighting for? You are destabilizing this whole region with your stupid policies. Look at whats happening in Pakistan. There wont be any peace in Pakistan as long as US stays in Afghanistan. What have you achieved in 8 years that gives you the confidence you can overcome Taliban in the next 8 years. Today NATO soldiers dare not roam outside their Greenzones without air cover. Its the Talibaan who roam all over Afghanistan. They have virtual control of the 6 southern provinces that produce the bulk of Opium. You couldn't even run dry their # 1 source of income in 8 years! Do yourself and the world a favor GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN!!!! There is still time for an honorable declaration of victory handing over the reigns to Karzai or Abdullah or whatever warlord and go back. you'll save 40 Billion per year that you can spend on your health insurance. You can never guarantee 100% saftey against terror attacks. They will remain a nuisance. Deal with them at your own home with better intelligence. In sure Putin is laughing his a@@ off seeing the americans make the folly his own Soviet army did. The Chinese dont mind it much either. They'll keep lending you money ensuring that USA can never put tough Tariff restrictions on their goods. This is embarassing for NATO as well. A Super Duper alliance of 42 most advanced countries fighting and failing to overcome a ragtag army! Dont make it hard for Obama america. Deep down in his heart Obama knows these wars are no good for america, he's just afraid he'd be disowned by you if he brings the troops back. Do the world a favor, you did one by throwing out the Neocons now you need to go one step further!

Posted by: yasseryousufi | October 23, 2009 3:49 PM
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Hey Crazy Christian uN Leashed!

Do you live to cut and paste and spread lies on Islam?? You're an embarrasment to the intelligence of normal Christians! Get a life man, try finding an honorable job.

Posted by: yasseryousufi | October 23, 2009 3:19 PM
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Our War on Terror and Aggression:

An update (or how we are spending or how we have spent the USA taxpayers’ money to eliminate global terror and aggression)

The Terror and Aggression via a Partial and Recent Body Count

1a) 179 killed in Mumbai/Bombay, 290 injured

1b) Assassination of Benazir Bhutto and Theo Van Gogh

2) 9/11, 3000 mostly US citizens, 1000’s injured

3) The 24/7 Sunni-Shiite centuries-old blood feud currently being carried out in Iraq, US Troops, 3,474 killed in action, 878 in non-combat accidents and 93,552 – 102,083 Iraqi civilians killed, http://www.iraqbodycount.org/ and
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf


4) Kenya- In Nairobi, about 212 people were killed and an estimated 4000 injured; in Dar es Salaam, the attack killed at least 11 and wounded 85.[2]


5) Bali-in 2002-killing 202 people, 164 of whom were foreign nationals, and 38 Indonesian citizens. A further 209 people were injured.


6) Bali in 2005- Twenty people were killed, and 129 people were injured by three bombers who killed themselves in the attacks.


7) Spain in 2004- killing 191 people and wounding 2,050.


8) UK in 2005- The bombings killed 52 commuters and the four radical Islamic suicide bombers, injured 700.

9) The execution of an eloping couple in Afghanistan on 04/15/2009 by the Taliban.

10) Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan: US troops killed in action 614 and 182 killed in non-combat situations as of 10/15/09

Continued below:

Posted by: ccnl1 | October 23, 2009 2:08 PM
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Other elements of our War on Terror and Aggression:


- Saddam, his sons and major henchmen have been deleted. Saddam's bravado about WMD was one of his major mistakes.

- Iran is being been contained. (beside containing the Sunni-Shiite civil war in Baghdad, that is the main reason we are in Iraq. And yes, essential oil continues to flow from the region.)

- Libya has become almost civil. Recently Libya agreed to pay $1.5 billion to the victims of their terrorist activities Apparently this new reality from an Islamic country has upset OBL and his “crazies” as they have threatened Libya. OBL sure is a disgrace to the world especially the Moslem world!!! Or is he???

- North Korea is still uncivil but is contained. With the opening up of rail traffic between North and South Korea after 50 years and with the assistance of the US Navy in retrieving NK ships and personnel hopefully a fresh sense of civility is afoot.

- North Korea was taken off the terrorist country list recently.

- Northern Ireland is finally at peace.

- The Jews and Palestinians are being separated by walls. Hopefully the walls will follow the 1948 UN accords. Unfortunately the Annapolis Peace Conference was not successful. Unfortunately the recent events in Gaza has put this situation back to “square one”. And this significant stupidity is driven by the mythical foundations of both religions!!!


- Bin Laden has been cornered under a rock in Western Pakistan since 9/11.

- Fanatical Islam has basically been contained to the Middle East but a wall between India and Pakistan would be a plus for world peace. Ditto for a wall between Afghanhistan and Pakistan.

- Timothy McVeigh was executed. Terry Nichols will follow soon.

- Eric Rudolph is spending three life terms in prison with no parole.

- Jim Jones, David Koresh, Kaczynski, the "nuns" from Rwanda, and the KKK were all dealt with and either eliminated themselves or are being punished.

- Islamic Sudan, Darfur and Somalia are still terror hot spots.

- The terror and torture of Muslims in Bosnia, Kosovo and Kuwait were ended by the proper application of the military forces of the USA and her freedom-loving friends. Radovan Karadzic was finally captured on 7/23/08 and is charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the law of war -- charges related to the 1992-1995 civil war that followed Bosnia-Herzegovina's secession from Yugoslavia.


- And of course the bloody terror brought about the Japanese, Nazis and Communists was with great difficulty eliminated by the good guys.

Posted by: ccnl1 | October 23, 2009 2:06 PM
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The Afghanistan crusade of Bush Jr. & Dick are wrong as well as their Iraq crusade and both will fail. In our nineth year of these crusades, what good has been done? What are the troops dying for? Are these two crusades as well as other actions & non actions of these two, Bush Jr. & Dick putting America in it econmic sunset? I hope President Obama stays off of the same history page and gives the world the gift of peace by ending Bush Jr. & Dick's crusades.

Posted by: usapdx | October 23, 2009 12:24 PM
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Why a segment of Americans still think that installing a puppet regime and using it to make over a country will work is a mystery. Must we re-learn our Vietnam lesson so soon?

Posted by: tojby_2000 | October 23, 2009 10:00 AM
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Hmmm, not one word of the real problem with Afghanistan i.e. drug production and distribution. Burn the poppy fields every six months with Predator drones laden with napalm and controlled from Nebraska and there will be peace in Afghanistan.

Posted by: ccnl1 | October 23, 2009 9:43 AM
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