The international military mission in Afghanistan has delivered "much less than it promised" due to the lack of a realistic strategy, an influential committee of lawmakers said Sunday.
In a report, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said without a clear strategy stabilising Afghanistan had become "considerably more difficult than might otherwise have been the case."
Lawmakers criticised US policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan and warned the "considerable cultural insensitivity" of some coalition troops had caused serious damage to Afghans' perceptions that will be "difficult to undo".
"We conclude that the international effort in Afghanistan since 2001 has delivered much less than it promised and that its impact has been significantly diluted by the absence of a unified vision and strategy grounded in the realities of Afghanistan's history, culture and politics," the report said. "Although Afghanistan's current situation is not solely the legacy of the West's failures since 2001,
| One would think Afghani and Pakistani failures would have something to do with it. But that would clearly be a refusal to accept that natives are by definition innocent of fault in any situation. |
avoidable mistakes, including knee-jerk responses, policy fragmentation and overlap, now make the task of stabilising the country considerably more difficult than might otherwise have been the case."
| (Stupid Yanks. It's their fault we haven't had our ticker tape parades.) |
As for Britain's roughly 9,000 troops in Afghanistan -- who in July suffered their worst month since the 2001 invasion with 22 deaths -- the members of parliament (MPs) said their role has seen "significant mission creep". They were initially sent to counter international terrorism and are now working on areas like fighting the drugs trade and counter-insurgency,
| Possibly because simply leaving after the Taliban and Al-Qaeda were driven out would be followed immediately by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda & Friends flowing back from Pakistan? And since you're there, you might as well do something about the opium trade that finances Al-Q's international terror war and the Taliban's local one? |
it said, adding the military had not been given "clear direction".
"We conclude that the UK's mission in Afghanistan has taken on a significantly different and considerably expanded character since the first British troops were deployed there in 2001," the report said.
"The UK deployment to Helmand (province) was undermined by unrealistic planning at senior levels,
poor coordination between Whitehall (government) departments
| Visible from across the pond. |
and crucially, a failure to provide the military with clear direction."
| Not to mention adequate bullets, armored jeeps, helicopters, medical staff... oh, and did I mention bullets? |
Britain's role as lead international partner on counter-narcotics was "a poisoned chalice", the report said, adding there was "little evidence" to suggest that cuts in poppy cultivation were down to deliberate strategy.
| Despite reports in the press of calls from Afghanis for more seed grain, training, fertilizers, and alternate-crop project support. Do not seek and ye shall not find. |
It called for British troops to focus on security alone.
| Whose security? That of their own bases only, like they ended up doing in Iraq when the lacks listed above kneecapped their efforts there? |
The "Global Security: Afghanistan and Pakistan" report also looked at problems caused by the use of air power, particularly by the United States.
| "If we aren't doing it, it must be a bad idea." |
Drone attacks by US forces in Pakistan have "damaged the US's reputation" while some of the blame for problems in the international mission in Afghanistan must be put on the Bush administration's early focus on military goals, it said.
The report also warned that the reputation of NATO -- in command of international troops in Afghanistan since 2003 -- could be "seriously damaged" without fairer burden-sharing between member states to ease the strain.
| "So the rest of y'all pony up some troops, instead of leaving us to do most of the work." |
Britain has long called for other NATO countries to contribute more to the military effort.
| The U.S. has, too, but since by definition the Yanks are wrong, we just won't mention that, 'k? |
The conditions of prisoners and detainees being held by the Afghan authorities were "a matter of considerable concern", it added, while also saying there had been "no tangible progress" on tackling corruption.
| Please -- a little respect for the native culture! |
Responding to the report, the Foreign Office said it would study its conclusions and submit an official response in the coming months.
| Filed appropriately in the circular file, one hopes. |
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