Discussion 10

I agree with everything Rory Stewart said in his interview with Time in the article How to Save Afghanistan. The majority of the article was dedicated to his distinct opinion regarding what the military can accomplish in time if they change their military strategy. I was very interested in his viewpoints, seeing as he is very well educated on past history and culture of Afghanistan and is probably the most well-equipped person to present an opinion of the issue, seeing as he traveled through Afghanistan on foot and knows the country and its people far better than any government leader.
The majority of my third essay revolved around Rory Stewart's belief for a new war tactic, especially because in a report issued by General McChrystal to President Obama, he stated that though he was asking for an additional 40,000 troops to be deployed, it would most likely result in failure. Rory Stewart predicted that President Obama would indeed deploy a sufficient number of forces, because doing otherwise would be detrimental to his image as commander in chief.
What the military needs to do is slowly deploy troops over a longer time frame in order to help create a better infrastructure within Afghanistan. Rory Stewart even stated that a projection of twenty to thirty years is roughly needed, and that by minimizing the goals of the United States' involvement in Afghanistan, the target will be more likely reached, and can be done with less troops. President Obama recently announced that he will not be deploying 40,000 but will only use 30,000 troops.
It is hard to say if more will be necessary to tackle the goals of the military at this point in time, unless the strategy shifts from fighting counterterrororism to fighting counterinsurgency. This way, the Taliban can be further deterred from harming Afghan villages, and more security can be provided for the citizens. The efforts of funding to help establish schools, roadways, and health care is already beginning to show positive feedback. The Turquoise Mountain foundation set up by Rory Stewart is a great organization to help better the communities as well.