No Silver Bullet

Have they found a silver bullet for Afghanistan? If you listen to the reactions coming from Berlin and Kabul concerning the new U.S. strategy in the Hindu Kush, you might be tempted to answer yes. Starting today, representatives from more than 70 nations are meeting under the auspices of the United Nations to take “an honest inventory” (Foreign Minister Steinmeier’s words) and to discuss Obama’s new strategy. But pretty-sounding words about new beginnings can’t disguise the fact that the new strategy suffers from the same disease as the old one. The old cure, made up of a combination of military action and civilian assistance, hasn’t worked yet. In fact, it has made things more dangerous for the civilian assistance side of the equation. Neither will the further exploitation of civilian construction assistance result in the promised outcome.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) fears the planned massive troop surge will cause an escalation and broadening of the armed conflict. Compared to the end of 2008, there has been a 50 percent increase in the treatment of wounded people at field hospitals already in the past few weeks. Because of the deteriorating security situation, fewer refugees are also returning to their own villages. The only thing the ICRC says is certain about the new strategy is that civilians will continue to bear the biggest burdens of the conflict.