Upcoming editorial: Britain's tough talk on Afghanistan
Here's a preview of an editorial we're working on. Let us know what you think. The best comments will appear alongside it in the print edition.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown publicly demanded Friday that the Afghan government rein in corruption, saying he is “not prepared to put the lives of British men and women in harm's way for a government that does not stand up against corruption.” He insisted that the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai demonstrate clear progress in five areas: security, governance, reconciliation, economic development, and engagement with Afghanistan's neighbors. If Mr. Karzai’s government fails, Mr. Brown said, it will have “forfeited its right to international support.”
There have been hints in recent days that President Barack Obama is delivering a similar message and similar demands in the closed-door world of diplomacy, but making such a public statement — and setting out benchmarks for Afghanistan to achieve — packs more force and is the kind of thing we need to see from the Obama administration if it is going to ask us to support sending thousands more troops to such a vexing war.
Comments
"...publicly demanded Friday that the Afghan government..."
What Afghan government?
Pack everything up and bring everyone home before years end. It's done.
Posted by: MrRational | November 6, 2009 1:07 PM
This is exactly what needs to happen...Step up Obama..we have faith in you.
Posted by: Ray Barcia | November 6, 2009 3:20 PM
Afganistan has never been a true westphalian 'nation-state' in the way most westerners understand a nation-state to be. Without making excuses for what is going on, what we think of as corruption to Afgans is a way of doing business. It is time for our leaders to lay out to us realist objectives...which means an Afgan government something much less than a Jeffersonian democracy. Without this eveyone is bound to be disappointed by the outcome 1, 5, 25 years down the road.
Posted by: Rob | November 7, 2009 5:32 PM
War has a tendency to create unintended
consequences. We went to Afg to destroy
al Qaeda camps and get bin Laden. We
only half succeded. But worse, we ended
up in a war with the Taliban, and an attempt
to "nation build". We cannot do either...be-
cause of the CULTURE there. It was bad
enough that we tried to change the culture
in Iraq; it will be even harder in Afg.!!
Posted by: Howard Meek | November 9, 2009 8:36 PM