In a recent AP article entitled “Afghanistan: Questions, Answers on war, US plans,” Anne Gearan examines the ongoing war in Afghanistan and offers explanations as to why the US and international efforts there appear to have no end in sight.
Written in a question and answer style, Gearan argues several points about the US war effort. In sum, she suggests that
- Iraq served as a distraction for US and NATO forces, causing the insurgents to strengthen in Afghanistan and causing the war to be drawn out.
- Despite having a superior military, the US is struggling in Afghanistan because the country has little infrastructure, bitter climate, and is riddled with corruption.
- In two to four years, in addition to thousands of more troops, Afghanistan will look “less like a war and more like a charity case,” but that it may take more than ten years for it to stand on its own.
While many of the points Gearan mentions are valid, she leaves much to be examined. Ethically, there are several ways in which the piece could be improved.
To begin, there are no military, civilian or government sources identified. It is one thing to protect a source’s identity to prevent harm or damaging reliability, but Gearan does not quote a single individual when she explains why the US efforts there have seemingly stalled. She makes reference to “military and outside analysts” instead of citing specific analysis or critics when writing that the war could possibly be won in a decade.
Another concern with the piece is its use of oversimplification. Certainly the war is more complex than what a single article allows, but the tone of the piece is so matter-of-fact that it may lead some to believe it is completely factual. For example, Gearan states that the bitter climate, little infrastructure, corruption and tribal history is increasing the struggle US forces face in Afghanistan. Gearan fails to include into her explanation several additional factors:
- The economy of Afghanistan is extremely weak, and locals are tempted by the Taliban’s promises of jobs and prosperity
- Afghanistan has been fighting for its existence for thousands of years, and the US is another in a line of foreign occupiers.
- The people of Afghanistan must want to fight alongside the US in order for the campaign to be successful
- The US has no clearly defined definition for victory in Afghanistan, and thus no timetable for expectations
Little insight is given into the cultural values and experiences of the Afghan people. Gearan writes that the country is “notoriously inhospitable to foreign invaders,” without providing more details about the country’s bloody history.
Finally, there are no representatives of the Afghan people present in the piece. Gearan explains the problems of Afghanistan without quoting or referring to any Afghans. The US perspective is well represented, but little to no attention is paid to the wishes of the locals.
If the US is truly to defeat terrorism in Afghanistan, we must start by working to understanding the country in all its complexity, which requires more than an oversimplified, western perspective of the war.
