For three decades now, Communism, civil war and Islamic fundamentalism have laid siege to Afghanistan's tribes. In many ways, Afghanistan's tribal structure is arguably the weakest it has been in the country's history. Nonetheless, American civilian and military leaders are turning to some of these tribes as potentially their best hope for success against the resurgent Taliban after being frustrated by the weak central leadership of President Hamid Karzai.
Tribes have existed for millennia in the area that is present-day Afghanistan. They emerged over centuries in various sections of the country, taking form along extended kinship lines. Led by councils of elders, tribes provided their members with protection, financial support, a means to resolve disputes, and punishment of those who had committed crimes or broken tribal codes of conduct. For Pashtuns, the country's largest ethnic group and the Taliban's primary source of support, tribes are particularly important. Successfully turning Pashtun tribes against the Taliban - or perhaps families or sub-tribes if they deal with the government on their own - could deliver a serious blow to the insurgency and potentially create a means of stabilizing the long-suffering country...
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Comments
Anon,
It depends on what you mean by tribe and, more importantly, what US forces mean. From what I've read it's shorthand for 'a group of guys we can negotiate with to fight for us in a given locality'. Not necessarily tribal at all; I think it's a lingering effect of Iraq, where tribes were much more cohesive and powerful. You're right to bring it up though, because it underscores the danger of using the wrong mental model. Do a google search for qawm; it's a pashtun word for my tongue-in-cheek quote above (approximately; again, the danger of oversimplification). Does anybody else hav insight on this?
I'd be happy if someone could tell me who and what constitutes a tribe these days in Afghanistan, as opposed to what might just happen to be a group of Pashtun uncles and cousins living in a particular area and having concerns distinct from Omar's village over the hill, that's also Pashtun, but may have dissimilar concerns?
I have not see it, but the photo may have been of a special unit, as the "big" ANA uses AKs. I personally wish we would "pure fleet" the ANSF with M16s/M4s. It would make their desertions less valuable if they have weapons that cannot fire the "standard" Taliban caliber ammunition and require different spare parts to keep operational.
There is no question, the eventual "success" metric will have Afghanistan tribes as a foundation.
But, how does this mix with the current centralized government's initiative which has been the cornerstone for the US and coalition partners since early 2003..or earlier.
How the tribes interact based on language, religion (Shia in the west..Sunni in the east), tribal affiliation, cultural issues and economic metrics?
Thus, the strategic policy debate, a course of action (COA) coupled with an intense implementation initiative really has yet to be defined. And, time is not on our side.
In today's New York Times, the lead front page picture showed ANA troops in training firing M-16's. This give me pause.
Most of you know the M-16 (and these are the older models) require constant maintenance. Anyone reading this short note ever found a cleaning kit on a KIA Taliban/insurgent..I think not! I just wonder where the idea came from for the ANA to "master" the 5.56 M-16.
Just a thought..