As America struggles to nourish an infant democracy in Iraq to the point where the U.S. can withdraw its military force, we can’t lose sight of the unfinished business in Afghanistan.
A recent surge in violence in Afghanistan has killed about 1,000 people – including 60 American soldiers. Fighters loyal to the ousted Taliban regime are trying to disrupt national and provincial elections planned for Sept. 18.
We’re confident those elections will proceed, but it also seems clear that the international coalition in Afghanistan doesn’t have adequate resources to extinguish the remnants of the brutish Taliban regime. If only a fraction of the U.S. and British forces now deployed in Iraq were deployed to Afghanistan, its future would be much more secure.
During the Civil War, Secretary of State William Seward tried to provoke a war with England, on the lame-brained theory that an external enemy would reunite north and south. Abraham Lincoln quashed the idea, telling Seward he had to fight “one war at a time.” Surely in private moments, even George W. Bush must wish he’d followed that advice.
In retrospect, invading Iraq before finishing the job in Afghanistan was obviously a mistake. There was no real urgency – no weapons of mass destruction, no link with al-Qaeda terrorism. In contrast, al-Qaeda was based in Afghanistan and the Taliban were genuinely providing essential support for its anti-America attacks.
Despite the unfinished business – Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden come to mind – the intervention in Afghanistan does offer some useful guidelines for future U.S. actions in Iraq and in the looming confrontation with Iran.
The liberation of Afghanistan was supported by an international force, with even French and German units providing assistance. Besides the firepower and logistical support provided by U.S. allies, the effort has had overwhelming support in the United Nations and other world forums. The U.S. needs broad support for reconstruction in Iraq. The French and Germans, despite their opposition to the 2003 invasion, have signaled their willingness to help. Bush should seize it as quickly as he can say “danke” and “merci.”
Finally, Bush should heed the warning from German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who dismissed Bush’s suggestion that the U.S. might take military action if Iran continues with its nuclear program. Any effective pressure against Iran must be carefully coordinated between the U.S. and Europe. The prospects dim immeasurably if the U.S. tries to go off on its own.
Ongoing hostilities in Afghanistan provide a cautionary tale against undertaking new interventions before the old ones are finished. The successful efforts to meld world opinion against the Taliban points the way to curbing similar tyrannies in Iran and North Korea.
