Small Wars Journal

U.S. Aid in Afghanistan

  1. Blog
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 7:17am
Report Urges Rethink of U.S. Aid in Afghanistan (Canadian Press) and Ex-Pentagon Adviser Says U.S. Should Cut Afghan Aid (Associated Press) both point here: Development in Afghanistan's Counterinsurgency by Dr. Mark Moyar at Small Wars Journal.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

Wed, 03/02/2011 - 10:51pm

Permalink

Remember that Moyar is the one who thinks we should be choosing leaders based on the Myers Briggs personality test. He thinks the Marines are superior to the Army in COIN because Marines have the better "score" on the M-B test.

John Smith (not verified)

Wed, 03/02/2011 - 9:52pm

Permalink

Dr. Moyar analysis is fundamentally incorrect and absent some key facts.

First, 60% of USG civilian personnel are posted at RC's, PRTs, DSTs and FOBs. A majorty as Dr. Moyar suggests are not based in Kabul.

Second, Dr. Moyar does not mention at all the USG commitment at the London Conference to provide 50% of the assistance budget through GIRoA on budget menchanisms by FY 2012. As he dramatically underestimates, the challenge of corruption and capacity at ministries requires that this increase take place responsibly.

Third, along the same lines, Dr. Moyar does not mention the USG support for the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, National Solidarity Program or the direct assitance to the Ministry of Public Health. In particular, the NSP has been widely recognized as an effective way to provide small grants to 33,000 communities across Afghanistan.

Before Dr. Moyar recommends such a extreme recommendation regarding funding for the US assistance program in the midst of the appropriations process for the FY 2011 and FY 2012 , he has a fundamental responsibility to get his facts straight, which he did not done here.

Respectfully,

A concerned citizen.