Warriors and Nation Builders: Development and The Military in Afghanistan

274 Pages·1.799 MB·English

by  Tamas A.

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“Winning” in Afghanistan means defeating a fascistic Taliban, corrupt warlords AANNDD
and narco-barons in a country that ranks 174th out of 178 in the world develop-
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ment index and which has known war for almost 30 years. “Winning”, then,
demands we “rebuild houses and roads, bring twenty million people out of AA
starvation and unemployment, establish the rule of law, revive a largely dead RR
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economy, wipe out corruption and crime, build hydropower plants and an
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electricity grid, educate generations of illiterates, and institute a capable and OO
legitimate government able to mend and transcend ethnic rifts. All of this while RR
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fighting off a resurgent Taliban.”

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– Havedal, Anja. “Afghan Women, Western Left.” Democratiya 11 (Winter 2007). DD

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Quoted in Johnson, Alan. “Lost in Afghanistan.” The Guardian, 10 March 2008,
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<www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/10/lostinafghanistan>, (3 November 2008).
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This monograph describes part of the complex business of nation NN

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building so warriors can better collaborate with their development
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partners in efforts to “win” this and other similar campaigns to help LL Development and the Military in Afghanistan
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fragile states become sustainable, peaceful societies.
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By Andy Tamas
WARRIORS NATION BUILDERS
AND

WARRIORS AND
NATION BUILDERS:
DEVELOPMENT AND
THE MILITARY IN AFGHANISTAN
By Andy Tamas
Copyright © 2009 Her Majesty the Queen, in right of Canada as represented by the
Minister of National Defence.
Canadian Defence Academy Press
PO Box 17000 Stn Forces
Kingston, Ontario K7K 7B4
Produced for the Canadian Defence Academy Press
by 17 Wing Winnipeg Publishing Offi ce.
WPO30372
Cover Photo Credits:
Base Photo, CFB Kingston (Boots and Sandals)
Silvia Pecota, March 2006
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Tamas, Andy, 1943-
Warriors and nation builders : development and the military in Afghanistan / by Andy Tamas.
Issued by: Canadian Defence Academy.
Produced for the Canadian Defence Academy Press by 17 Wing Winnipeg Publishing Offi ce.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-100-10164-4 (bound).--ISBN 978-1-100-10165-1 (pbk.)
Cat. no.: D2-228/1-2008E (bound).--Cat. no.: D2-228/2-2008E (pbk.)
1. Canada--Armed Forces--Afghanistan. 2. Afghan War, 2001- --Participation, Canadian.
3. Canada--Foreign relations--Afghanistan. 4. Afghanistan--Foreign relations--Canada.
5. Democratization--Afghanistan. 6. Nation-building--Afghanistan. 7. Postwar reconstruction-
-Afghanistan. I. Canadian Defence Academy II. Canada. Canadian Armed Forces. Wing, 17
III. Title.
DS371.412 T36 2008 958.104’7 C2008-980347-7
Printed in Canada.
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
D E D I C A T I O N
Th is book is dedicated to my family and especially my wonderful wife Susie,
who does have a sense of adventure, and to my mother, Angela Szepesi,
an exemplary trooper in the “Army of Light” and the members of the
Canadian Forces, our diplomats and development personnel – and those
of other countries – who willingly put themselves in harm’s way to build
a bett er world, and most importantly, to the people of Afghanistan and
other similar fragile states who want litt le more than a society that works.

Table of Contents
Foreword ................................................................................................................. i
Preface ................................................................................................................... iii
Introduction ........................................................................................................ vii
CHAPTER 1 Purpose of this Book and an Introduction
to Development .................................................................. 1
CHAPTER 2 Background and Context ................................................ 29
CHAPTER 3 Strategic Advisory Team in Afghanistan ..................... 41
CHAPTER 4 What is “Capacity Development”? ............................... 65
CHAPTER 5 Intervention Strategy and Methods ............................. 81
CHAPTER 6 Th e Cast of Characters – Who’s Who? ...................... 111
CHAPTER 7 How Does this Place Work? ......................................... 151
CHAPTER 8 What is the Mission? A Change of Mindset ............. 173
CHAPTER 9 Tools of the Trade .......................................................... 197
CHAPTER 10 Th e Way Forward ........................................................... 217
List of Acronyms .............................................................................................. 225
Endnotes ............................................................................................................ 229
Index ................................................................................................................... 239

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Foreword
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I am delighted to introduce Warriors and Nation Builders: Development and
the Military in Afghanistan. Th is book represents an important addition to R
CDA Press. Writt en by Andy Tamas, an experienced and well-respected O
development worker, it provides insights into the “Development” pillar of
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the vaunted “3D” (Diplomacy, Development and Defence) approach.
Ongoing operations in Afghanistan have done much to advance a greater
understanding and practice with regard to the integrated “Whole of Gov-
ernment” approach to dealing with confl ict in the contemporary secur-
ity environment. However, this inclusive methodology unquestionably
creates challenges for leaders. Only recently have we begun to accept the
reality that success depends on an eff ective, co-operative military-civilian
integrated approach to most operations in the contemporary environment.
Very few of the confl icts we face are a function of an exclusive military
problem. Rather, most are the result of political, economic and social dys-
function that is exacerbated by and prolonged as a result of insecurity. As a
result, military presence and/or force is but one tool to remedy the prob-
lem. Moreover, it is normally ineff ective without the corollary political and
economic levers to fi x the larger underlying problems. In short, both mil-
itary and civilian decision-makers have come to realize that without secur-
ity, there can be no reconstruction and development. However, similarly,
it is now understood that without reconstruction and development, there
can be no long-lasting security.
Th is volume is but one small contribution to the body of developing know-
ledge that promotes greater understanding in the realm of 3D, particularly
as it relates to the Canadian Forces. Writt en from a civilian point of view
by an experienced development worker who understands both the civilian
and military perspectives of development within the context of Afghan-
istan, Warriors and Nation Builders provides excellent insight and know-
ledge, and is a must read for all professional offi cers. In short, it describes
the complex business of nation building so warriors can bett er collaborate
with their development partners in the eff ort to “win” in Afghanistan, as
well as similar campaigns in other regions to help fragile states become
sustainable peaceful societies.
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