For the past year and half the US media has been dominated by the 2008 presidential election. This is in many ways a good thing as we need to know who these candidates are and what they stand for and against, but the coverage has become so saturated that we are starting to miss coverage of actual news, like what is happening in Afghanistan. Lately, all we really hear about the nation is from either Obama or McCain's mouth. I want to connect this point to my post yesterday discussing winning the public relations battle with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
A. First things first, this editorial by Joanna Nathan, a senior adviser in Kabul for the International Crisis Group, highlights the importance of the subject of yesterday's post, US-sponsored public radio throughout the world. Nathan's 'selling the Taliban’ discusses how the Taliban have used the media, mainly the internet, to spread their message, garner support, hide atrocities committed, intimidate local Afghans, and discourage the international community. They are successfully winning the PR battle in this conflict and Nathan rightly demands that the Afghan government and international community stand up to make sure their side of the story is told and to highlight wrongdoings by the Taliban to deligitimize their authority and presence. I would also like to see the nascent Afghan civil society take a part in standing up against poor treatment and intimidation by the Taliban, but of course they need to feel safe enough to do this.
B. ‘But Sir, could you provide us with an example of how NATO and the Afghan government can accomplish this? Why, sure.’ The story of the delivery of a large turbine to the Kajaki Dam deep in Taliban territory by British troops, but also with help from Americans, Chinese, French, Canadians, and Dutch, is an event and action that should be broadcasted all over the Afghan nation and world. These soldiers braved Taliban attacks to bring electricity to the Afghan people. This effort should be promoted to the far reaches of the nation; 'the Taliban want to keep you poor and wanting, and your government wants to provide services to make your life better.’ Obviously, this is a simplification, but not by too far a degree. This is a concrete improvement in the lives of thousands of Afghans and NATO and the Afghan government need to make sure the population is aware of productive and beneficial deeds of this sort to disenfranchise the Taliban and pull away its supporters.
C. The release of thousands of prisoners and the following instability of the key city of Kandahar is just such a prime example of a situation that the Taliban can exploit with their public relations tools. The well-orchestrated attack releasing 900 prisoners, 350 of whom were members of the Taliban, portrayed the strength of the insurgency and the weakness of the Afghan government and limited ability of the NATO foreign forces. The New York Times ran this report in late August showcasing these points and how the people of Kandahar are viewing the dramatic situation in their hometown. They appear to have real fear of the Taliban and of a major battle being fought right in front of them. This is one example of a battle that the Afghan government and NATO forces need to win, both strategically and in the hearts and minds.
D. Bob Zoellick, President of the World Bank, in an article about the keys to rebuilding Afghanistan highlights the gains the nation has made recently in lowering the infant mortality rate, creating schools for 6 million Afghan children, and in providing almost 500,000 citizens with microfinance loans. These positive developments and signs need to be expressed outwardly. Zoellick of course also acknowledges the many struggles that the nation faces, especially the instability and failure to control and defeat the insurgency. I will not go over all of his recommendations, but he rightly focuses on agriculture reform, creating an anti-corruption body, and the choking of the Afghan narcotics trade.
I’m not trying to sugarcoat the situation in Afghanistan or suggest that the US/NATO/Afghan government should use false or superficial propaganda, but there are positive things happening in the country and the Taliban is waging a public relations war that we must beat them at to win this long-term battle. The Afghan people need to receive concrete security and services if they are to chose the Afghan government over the Taliban, but we should not underestimate the power of perception (and deception).
PS: (Am I writing a letter?) Here is an interesting report on an unusual meeting between powerful members of NATO and the US military in Afghanistan (Mullen, Petraeus, McKiernan) and Pakistan's Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kayani on a US aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. The subject of the meeting was unavailable, but it no doubt concerned the insurgency raging in both nations around the Afghan/Pak border. It also appears that it was not a confrontational affair, with one aide stating ‘It was one of those meetings to help clear up the situation, get an understanding of the issues, and look for a way forward.’ We’ll see if any concrete action comes out of it. Of course the recent incident of US troops launching an attack in Pakistan territory may complicate the matter. (Make sure to check out FPA’ s Bilal Qureshi's excellent Pakistan blog)
