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order is a barrier to change, education, economic betterment and human rights. We cannot defeat this tactic by combat power alone. Instead, we have capitalized on our asymmetric advantage, the ability to offer both a better today and a better tomorrow. The United States is the largest donor to Afghanistan, carrying out comprehensive sector programs in agriculture and alternative development, infrastructure (roads and power), health, education, economic growth, good governance and the rule of law. In 2001, fewer than one million boys and no girls attended school in Afghanistan. Now, six million children (40 percent of them girls) regularly go to school. Infant mortality has been slashed. Eighty percent of all Afghans now have access to medical care. Licit exports have increased nearly 600 percent. The extent of paved or improved roads has been doubled to 40,000 kilometers. Each road brings development and stability: as the saying goes, “Where the roads end, the Taliban begins.” While worthwhile, it is a tremendous effort that often seems to proceed at a glacial pace. We are not alone in this fight. In addition to NATO/ ISAF, the U.N., the Red Cross and a slew of nongovernmental organizations are on the ground. Unfortunately, however, many of these entities approach the complex Afghan environment the same way they have a dozen other conflict zones, regardless of whether their methods are appropriate or effective under the circumstances. Seeing this, the United States decided that a new approach was needed, and thus the Provincial Reconstruction Team concept was born. A Unique Institution Since their inception, PRTs have proven effective in supporting the spread of governance and development in Afghanistan. The first PRT was stood up in Paktia province in a traditional mud compound in 2002. Since then, 25 additional teams (11 U.S.-led and 14 non-U.S.) have been deployed throughout the country, mostly on small Forward Operating Bases located in provincial capitals. The U.S.-led teams combine civilian and military personnel who focus on governance, development and security. 32 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JULY-AUGUST 2008 F OCUS The integration of civilians is one of the major differences between the American effort and those of our allies. These civil-military teams work with the Afghan government, civil society, Afghan and coalition security forces, and the international community. Because the country’s provinces differ greatly in terms of ethnic and tribal mix, level of security and economic development, there can be no “cookie cutter” approach. That said, each PRT has a similar mandate: to extend the reach of the Afghan government, carry out reconstruction projects and help build up local security forces. Ten of the 12 U.S. PRTs are located in Regional Command East under the control of Combined Joint Task Force 101. The 101st also commands U.S. and coalition combat forces within its area of responsibility. Subordinate brigades coordinate the actions of both the PRTs and the combat units. It should be emphasized, however, that the PRTs are separate entities from the combat, or “maneuver” units. The PRTs have national identities, as well. Eleven of the 12 U.S. PRTs are military-led and have a handful of civilian officers — one each from State, USAID and USDA. The civilians are equal members of the PRT’s integrated command team. The military commander has final authority on all security matters, but the civilians take the lead on governance and development. By contrast, some non-U.S. PRTs are led by senior civilians with a sizable non-military staff, or by the military with civilian development advisers from the host country. There are also philosophical differences. U.S. PRTs are integrated civil-military counterinsurgency units. Other nations view PRTs either as development agencies with a military component for security, or as agencies that only provide security training. We believe that the U.S. model is the most effective, and some of our allies seem to be coming around to this view. There is a growing recognition by our British and Canadian colleagues (among others) that “the Americans seem to have caught on to something.” The integration of non-military personnel is one of the major differences between the American effort and those of our allies. While other nations also assign civilians to their PRTs, the two sides often operate in virtual isolation from each other. In some non-U.S. PRTs, the relationship between them borders on hostility. In contrast, vis-
itors to both our PRTs and our brigades are struck by the strong and positive working relationships that exist among the Americans, regardless of agency. U.S. civilians who are assigned to non-U.S. PRTs work hard, with varying degrees of success, to replicate such relationships with their lead-nation hosts. The Civilian Component Civilian personnel are assigned to PRTs to provide crucial skill sets that the military lacks. These include political reporting, cultural awareness, an understanding of civilian governmental structures and a background in development. State Department personnel can be broadly defined as political officers, although on any given day they may be involved in public diplomacy or in economic, political-military or consular issues; or they may be engaged in work that falls outside of any defined category. USAID and USDA personnel serve as catalysts for development activities, ensuring that programs are integrated and coordinated with reconstruction efforts of F OCUS the military and other donors, while reflecting the priorities of the Afghan government. As the lead for development, the USAID officer works closely with military and civilian counterparts to shape PRT efforts based on proven best practices. The fluid situation on the ground, however, makes it hard for civilian PRT officers to know with any certainty how their day will unfold. Positive things, such as inaugurations of development projects or meetings with tribal leaders, are somewhat predictable. Negative occurrences are the wild cards: tribes may clash over land, insurgents may set off a bomb, the governor may clash with his provincial council chief, or rains may trigger flooding. One thing is certain, however: most of our officers get outside of their Forward Operating Bases on a daily basis. They interact with the governor (who is appointed by President Hamid Karzai), the popularly elected Provincial Council, tribal elders, religious leaders and others. They also interact with communities to identify JULY-AUGUST 2008/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 33
Page 1: A TIRELESS “AFSA-CATE” ■ HONO
Page 6 and 7: CONTENTS AFSA NEWS DISSENTERS HONOR
Page 8 and 9: Getting History Wrong I was astonis
Page 10 and 11: Forgetting History The April Cybern
Page 12 and 13: National Security Infrastructure: D
Page 14 and 15: Saharan Africa, where the number of
Page 16 and 17: Association for Diplomatic Studies
Page 18 and 19: udget of $3.5 million, and a profes
Page 20 and 21: Pinochet to form a political party
Page 22 and 23: aircraft was an American flag carri
Page 24 and 25: of State’s attention to managemen
Page 26 and 27: In recent months, the growing secur
Page 28 and 29: Commission and the Judicial Reform
Page 30 and 31: of government — notwithstanding t
Page 32 and 33: setup, relying on elected provincia
Page 36 and 37: development and governance prioriti
Page 38 and 39: 36 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JULY-AUG
Page 40 and 41: institutional memory, as well as th
Page 42 and 43: ise of the Taliban. This has been b
Page 44 and 45: Durand Line broke the region’s do
Page 46 and 47: Center, that the TTP is bound to re
Page 48 and 49: On Sept. 7, 1948, Secretary of Stat
Page 50 and 51: ecame increasingly chaotic, with cr
Page 52 and 53: What I want to get at is a problem
Page 54 and 55: 52 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JULY-AUG
Page 56 and 57: in turn, the enthusiastic applause
Page 58 and 59: authority and against the advice of
Page 61 and 62: AFSANEWS American Foreign Service A
Page 63 and 64: V.P. VOICE: STATE ■ BY STEVE KASH
Page 65 and 66: 2008 AFSA CONSTRUCTIVE DISSENT AWAR
Page 67 and 68: 2008 AFSA CONSTRUCTIVE DISSENT AWAR
Page 69 and 70: 2008 AFSA OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE A
Page 71 and 72: AUSTIN TRACY Scholarship Winners Ho
Page 73 and 74: AFSA Issue Brief Foreign Service Re
Page 75 and 76: CLASSIFIEDS JULY-AUGUST 2008/FOREIG
Page 77 and 78: Cultural Diplomacy’s Finest Hour
Page 80 and 81: Lucius Durham Battle, 89, a retired
Page 82 and 83: ing French and Spanish literature a
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Comforts, that specialized in anima
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Washington, D.C., in 1941. There sh
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losing a battle with cancer. Born i
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Leasing and Management of Exception
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90 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JULY-AUG
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Seven months ago, I was living in a
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