LA Times misunderstands Afghan war
The Los Angeles Times has an editorial today that parses Petraeus’s new emphasis on arming locals in Afghanistan. It concludes that, "The question is how to make sure they remain on the side of the central government." Actually, that gets the issue exactly backwards — and shows how little the editorialist understands the war. The ...
The Los Angeles Times has an editorial today that parses Petraeus's new emphasis on arming locals in Afghanistan. It concludes that, "The question is how to make sure they remain on the side of the central government."
Actually, that gets the issue exactly backwards -- and shows how little the editorialist understands the war. The question Petraeus is actually posing to Karzai is how the central government is going to win over armed villagers. That is why this move is important -- it empowers locals and so gives Petraeus a lever to start challenging the ways of those around Karzai.
News flash for the LA Times: Our biggest problem in Afghanistan isn't the Taliban, it is the corrupt and abusive ways of the Karzai government. The Taliban is a byproduct of that behavior. (And yeah, our second biggest problem is the Pakistani government.)
The Los Angeles Times has an editorial today that parses Petraeus’s new emphasis on arming locals in Afghanistan. It concludes that, "The question is how to make sure they remain on the side of the central government."
Actually, that gets the issue exactly backwards — and shows how little the editorialist understands the war. The question Petraeus is actually posing to Karzai is how the central government is going to win over armed villagers. That is why this move is important — it empowers locals and so gives Petraeus a lever to start challenging the ways of those around Karzai.
News flash for the LA Times: Our biggest problem in Afghanistan isn’t the Taliban, it is the corrupt and abusive ways of the Karzai government. The Taliban is a byproduct of that behavior. (And yeah, our second biggest problem is the Pakistani government.)
More from Foreign Policy

Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.

So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.

Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.

Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.