Heading for the Exits

Published in der Tagesspiegel
(Germany) on 24 June 2011
by Malte Lehming (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Ron Argentati. Edited by Emily Sicard.
Both Republicans and Democrats in America have had their fill of military ventures in Arab-Muslim regions. The wars are ending, but the fighting continues.

Obama wants to leave Afghanistan. He also wants to leave Iraq, and he wants to end U.S. involvement in NATO’s war against Gadhafi in Libya as quickly as possible. Not only are the costs too high, but America is also already deeply in debt. Above all, there is a growing awareness that war has failed as a means of fighting terrorism and accelerating democratization. Nearly 10 years after 9/11, an era of global intervention draws to a close. Both Republicans and Democrats in America have had their fill of military ventures in Arab-Muslim regions.

This mood will quickly spill over into NATO and Europe. Defending freedom in the Hindu Kush — that was yesterday. Osama bin Laden is dead, and al-Qaida has learned with lightning speed how to relocate its command centers: today in Afghanistan, tomorrow in Somalia, the day after that in Yemen. Tanks and bombs are useless in that kind of operation. Though the wars are drawing to an end, the fighting still continues. Drones and cyber warfare: These are the tactics of the future. It therefore behooves the West to take every measure to ensure it maintains its technological and informational advantages.


Einstieg in den Ausstieg
Von Malte Lehming
24.06.2011

US-Republikaner und -Demokraten sind der Militärmissionen im arabisch-muslimischen Raum überdrüssig geworden. Die Kriege gehen zu Ende, der Kampf allerdings geht weiter.


Barack Obama will raus aus Afghanistan. Er will auch raus aus dem Irak. Und den Nato-Krieg gegen Libyens Herrscher Gaddafi will er ebenfalls so rasch wie möglich beenden. Denn da sind nicht nur die Kosten und ein gigantisch hoch verschuldeter amerikanischer Staatshaushalt. Sondern da ist vor allem die Einsicht, dass Krieg als Antiterrorwaffe ebenso versagt hat wie als Demokratisierungsbeschleuniger. Knapp zehn Jahre nach den Anschlägen vom 11. September 2001 nähert sich somit eine Epoche globaler Interventionen ihrem Ende. US-Republikaner und -Demokraten sind der Militärmissionen im arabisch-muslimischen Raum überdrüssig geworden.

Diese Stimmung wird sehr rasch auf Nato und Europa überschwappen. Am Hindukusch die Freiheit verteidigen – das war einmal. Osama bin Laden ist tot, und Al Qaida hat gelernt, in Windeseile seine Kommandozentralen zu verlegen, heute Afghanistan, morgen Somalia, übermorgen Jemen. Panzer und Bomben sind machtlos dagegen. Die Kriege gehen zu Ende, der Kampf allerdings geht weiter. Drohnen und Cyberwar: Das sind die Mittel der Zukunft. Daraus folgt für den Westen die Maxime, alles zu tun, um seinen Technologie- und Informationsvorsprung zu behalten.


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