Addressing the root cause

So I didn’t answer the blog question about whether or not having troops in Afghanistan made me feel secure but in reading through other people’s responses I decided that there is something I want to say about our current deployment of troops in Afghanistan. While I’m not going to discuss the issue of security, I am going to explore the reasons why I don’t think we are gaining anything by having troops deployed there.  

While I do not deny that an immediate military response was necessary after 9/11 when the welfare of our nation was threatened, military presence in Afghanistan 9 years later is unnecessary and counterproductive.  

To deal with the Taliban most effectively, we need to address the root of the problem. The cause of religious extremism and distortion of the Koran is ignorance, illiteracy, and joblessness. Many teenage boys join the Taliban because there is no other job for them to do. Providing educational opportunities will address all of these issues and for the cost of an American soldier stationed in Afghanistan for one year, you can build 20 schools.  Most people think that education and development are impossible in areas of Afghanistan where there is a dominant presence of Taliban. That view is wrong. Greg Mortenson, along with many other humanitarians, have proven that it is quite possible to build schools even in the most insecure parts of Afghanistan. The key to the sustainability of the schools is engaging individuals and communities. Many times the schools that are built by governmental organizations are burnt down or attacked by the Taliban. This is because they are seen as alien institutions built by outsiders. Once you involve the people of the community, once they begin to feel ownership for what they are doing, then support and trust will grow and schools will be able to withstand Taliban opposition. Insurgents are less likely to oppose projects backed by  large groups of people. But in order to gain the respect of the village it is imperative that the locals are the ones directly involved in the process.  When ineffective institutions interfere with the Afghan way of life it creates a dispiriting lack of progress and locals will be reluctant to risk a relationship with foreigners. Education is possible and is the most effective way to address the current situation. This war cannot be won with superior military equipment or manpower; the root issues needs to be addressed first in order to build mutual respect and understanding. 

Military force is limited in what it can achieve, but education yields invaluable results.