It seems everyone is going Dutch these days. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal recently triumphed a softer Afghanistan strategy focusing on civilian protection and development. This week, the LA Times published a piece on a similar strategy already done by Dutch forces:
“Dutch planners said they’ve concentrated on community development nearly as much as military security and have worked to ensure that complex tribal, political and governmental interests had a stake in building schools and other civilian projects. This, they hoped, would encourage residents to protect the structures against Taliban attacks, even if the process required far more time and effort than paying foreign contractors to throw up a showcase project.”
I am happy to see Dutch forces in Afghanistan getting some well deserved attention.
Christopher R. Albon is a political science Ph.D. specializing in armed conflict, public health, human security, and health diplomacy.
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