Losing Afghanistan
By JOHN KERRY,
COMMENTARY, WSJ.com Online, September 25, 2006
As we marked the fifth anniversary of
the worst attack on American soil, there was enormous discussion of the lessons
of 9/11. But after the bagpipes stopped, and news coverage turned to other
issues, perhaps the first lesson of that day seemed quickly forgotten: We
cannot allow Afghanistan to become a terrorist stronghold and a staging ground
for attacks on America.
If Washington seems to have forgotten Afghanistan, it is clear the Taliban and
al Qaeda have not. Less than five years after American troops masterfully
toppled the Taliban, the disastrous diversion in Iraq has allowed these radicals
the chance to rise again. Time is running out to reverse an unfolding
disaster in the war we were right to fight after 9/11.
Funded largely by a flourishing opium trade, a resurgent Taliban effectively
controls entire swathes of southern Afghanistan. Roadside bomb attacks
have more than doubled this year, and suicide attacks have more than tripled.
Britain's commander in Afghanistan recently said that "the intensity and
ferocity of the fighting is far greater than in Iraq on a daily basis."
Al Qaeda is again taking advantage: The recent plot to blow up U.S.-bound
jets was reportedly masterminded by an al Qaeda affiliate operating from
Afghanistan. The same killers who attacked us on 9/11 are still plotting
against America -- and they're still holed up in Afghanistan. President
Karzai put it simply: "The same enemies that blew up themselves in . . .
the twin towers in America are still around." And while President Bush
frequently quotes Ayman al-Zawahiri, he hasn't mentioned that on the fifth
anniversary of 9/11 al Qaeda's No. 2 described the situation in Afghanistan as
"very good."
When did denying al Qaeda a safe haven in Afghanistan cease to be an urgent
American priority? Somehow, we ended up with seven times more troops in
Iraq -- which even the administration now admits had nothing to do with 9/11 --
than in Afghanistan, where the killers still roam free. Even as the
president claimed we are on the offensive against terrorists, Gen. James Jones,
the U.S. commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, made an urgent plea for more
troops to fight the Taliban. President Karzai has also appealed for more
troops and support, and on my trip to Afghanistan this year, he stressed to me
the importance of a robust American troop presence. And on Sept. 11 this
year, U.S. Col. Michael Harrison noted "more troops would be welcome" in the
hunt for bin Laden and his henchmen.
Quite simply, we must change course -- starting with the immediate deployment of
at least 5,000 additional U.S. troops. That includes more special forces
to defeat the Taliban, more civil affairs troops to bolster the promising
Provisional Reconstruction Teams, more infantry to prevent Taliban infiltration
from Pakistan, and more clandestine intelligence units to hunt al Qaeda on both
sides of the border. That also means more predator drones to provide
real-time intelligence, more helicopters and transport aircraft to allow rapid
deployment, and more heavy combat equipment to overpower enemy forces.
We must also redouble our reconstruction efforts. The Taliban's resurgence
comes as no surprise when 40% of the population is unemployed and 90% lack
regular electricity. As Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry recently said, "wherever
the road ends, that's where the Taliban starts." That's why our generals are
asking for more reconstruction funds to win over the local population. Yet
this administration has appropriated nearly four times more in reconstruction
funds for Iraq than Afghanistan -- and actually cut Afghan aid by 30% this year.
We need to substantially increase development aid and take advantage of the
improved security provided by additional troops to ensure that reconstruction
efforts reach the remote villages where the Taliban finds support. We must
ensure that the elected government in Kabul, helped by the U.S. -- not the
Taliban, helped by al Qaeda -- rebuilds Afghanistan.
This is especially important to counter the opium trade, which increased 50%
last year and now funds insurgents, warlords and terrorists world-wide. We
must provide alternative livelihoods for opium farmers and spur the judicial
reforms necessary to prevent drug lords from acting with impunity. We
cannot -- and should not -- do this alone. Asked which of the 26 countries
in the alliance were dragging their feet in Afghanistan, Gen. Jones replied,
"All of them." Where allies have pledged troops and assistance, they must
follow through. But we must lead by example. That's how you win
hearts and minds, and show the world the true face of America -- and that's how
you win the war on terror.
Finally, we must use economic leverage to ensure the Taliban no longer finds
sanctuary and recruits in Pakistan. Last year we gave Pakistan only $300
million in economic support, about what we spend in a day in Iraq. We need
to give more, in development funds earmarked for specific projects that help
undermine radicals, and demand more in return from the Musharraf government.
We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. The U.S. must not cut
and run from the real front line in the war on terror. We must recommit to
victory in Afghanistan.
Mr. Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, was the 2004
Democratic nominee for president.
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