U.S. Cedes Duties in Rebuilding Afghanistan

[cal04]

Four years into a mammoth reconstruction effort here that has been largely led, funded and secured by Americans, the United States is showing a growing willingness to cede those jobs to others. The most dramatic example will come by this summer, when the U.S. military officially hands over control of the volatile southern region -- plagued by persistent attacks from Islamic militias -- to an international force led by the NATO alliance. The United States will cut its troop strength by 2,500, even though it is not clear how aggressively NATO troops will pursue insurgents, who have shown no sign of relenting.


At the same time, the U.S. government is increasingly allowing Western allies, or Afghans themselves, to take on the tasks of rebuilding a country that was decimated by more than two decades of fighting and remains beset by poverty, drugs and insurgency. The United States says that its shifting approach complements Afghanistan's evolution into a self-sustaining democracy and that Washington has no plans to pull out altogether. "The Afghans have to have enough space to make their own decisions, even to stumble sometimes," said U.S. Ambassador Ronald Neumann. "But we shouldn't leave them without critical support before they're strong enough."

As the U.S. presence becomes less visible, however, Afghans are starting to question whether the U.S. support is sufficient. Some Afghan officials express concern that the Bush administration's priorities are simply shifting elsewhere and that the United States may abandon their country prematurely, much the way it did in the early 1990s following the withdrawal of Soviet troops.

Funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, which topped $1 billion for 2005 and has helped build highways, schools and clinics across the country during the last four years, will be reduced to just over $600 million in 2006, unless Congress appropriates more money.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/02/AR2006010201942.html

[Posteritatis]

1. Anyone have info on other countries' work in Afghanistan?

(ed 12:19a - typos)

Great post; that one actually has Information(tm) about what's going on in Afghanistan. Too much of the news just has platitudes these days. :P

I know Canada's involved heavily (by our standards, mind you) in the military efforts there, and that's increased since the US started allowing international troops outside of the major cities. There's also a lot of more fundamental reconstruction work going on, too; less of both than I'd like to see Ottawa taking part in, but anything would be good for folks there given what they've been through the past few decades.

I don't know much about other countries' involvement in Afghanistan, though. I probably should, but I've let it fall off my personal radar amidst the insanities in Iraq, short of making sure some friends with the forces in Afghanistan are alright. As I'm in a Johnny-Five "more input!" mode about it now, for both personal and professional reasons, can anyone help point me towards information there on various countries' relief and reconstruction efforts in the country right now?

[NI4NI]

3. My MSN Search "aid to Afghanistan" results

came up with many sites, this is just one of many:
http://www.cic.nyu.edu/conflict/conflict_project4.html

Hope it helps.

[Posteritatis]

5. Nice catch. Thanks! (n/t)

[Vidar]

2. Pass the buck again--create thousands of bin-Labins.

[awoke_in_2003]

4. Interesting

"at the same time, the U.S. government is increasingly allowing Western allies, or AFGHANS themselves, to take on the tasks of rebuilding a country that was decimated by more than two decades of fighting and remains beset by poverty"

Hmm, after WW11, we allowed he germans to rebuild Germany, although we financed it. Kept em busy, gave them a job. When will they do this in Iraq?

[LynnTheDem]

6. "remains beset by poverty, drugs and insurgency"

WELL DONE, BUSH!!! Such "PROGRESS" five years later!

Fucking asshole of a lying son of a bitch MFing idiot.