A Review Of 12 Years Of International Intervention In Afghanistan

AERIAL SECURITY - U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Marcus S. McCollum provides aerial security with a GAU-21 .50-caliber machine gun inside a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter over Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2013. McCollum, a crew chief, is assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Gabriela Garcia

Some Things Got Better – How Much Got Good? A Review Of 12 Years Of International Intervention In Afghanistan -- Thomas Ruttig, Afghanistan Analysts Network

2013 marked the year in which the international community started to wrap up many of the initiatives to re-build Afghanistan – arguably the biggest international effort since the post-Word-War-II Marshal Plan. But where did this effort leave the country? For AAN’s year-end piece, co-director Thomas Ruttig has summarised what has happened, what has been achieved – and what hasn’t – over the past 12 years. He looks at the security situation, the rule of law, the domestic political landscape, the economy, education, social protection as well as foreign aid and its impacts, and he assesses the factors shaping them. He has forensically picked his way through major studies and briefing papers, books and press releases, media reports on national and international institutions' programs as well as AAN’s own substantial body of work. One of his conclusions is that a multitude of problems remains – and as the Western approach became more and more militarised, some were even exacerbated. He also concludes, that the simplified optimism currently broadcast by foreign governments is likely to stand in the way of identifying priorities for post-2014 action.

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My Comment: A long review of the war in Afghanistan. If you are snowed in and you have nothing to do and Afghanistan has been/is/will be important to you .... this is a must read.