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2. Learning by Doing: The Pakistan Army's Experience with Counterinsurgency
- Author:
- Shuja Nawaz
- Publication Date:
- 02-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Despite having entered the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in force to support the coalition invasion of Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom, the Pakistan Army did not undertake real counterinsurgency operations till much after 2001. Most of its early operations centered on the conventional use of dominating force against irregular opponents in this rugged region. It was hampered as much by lack of training and equipment as it was by its outmoded approaches to fighting in the frontier region. Gradually, its officers began learning by doing, and the Swat operation in 2008 probably marked the turning point in the doctrinal shift to serious counterinsurgency (COIN) operations, regardless of the fact that the army called it Low Intensity Conflict (LIC).
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Terrorism, Military Strategy, Counterinsurgency, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Afghanistan, and South Asia
3. Pakistan in the Danger Zone
- Author:
- Shuja Nawaz
- Publication Date:
- 06-2010
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The Afghanistan war may be lost on the battlefields of Pakistan, where a vicious conflict is now being fought by Pakistan against a homegrown insurgency spawned by the war across its Western frontier. A year after we at the Atlantic Council raised a warning flag about the effects of failure in Afghanistan and the need to meet Pakistan's urgent needs in its existential war against militancy and terrorism, the situation in Pakistan remains on edge. Domestic politics remain in a constant state of flux, with some progress toward a democratic polity overshadowed by periodic upheavals and conflicts between the ruling coalition and the emerging judiciary. The military's actions against the Taliban insurgency appear to have succeeded in dislocating the homegrown terrorists but the necessary civilian effort to complement military action is still not evident. The government does not appear to have the will or the ability to muster support for longer-term reform or sustainable policies. The economy appears to have stabilized somewhat; but security, governance, and energy shortages are major challenges that require strong, consistent, incorruptible leadership rather than political brinkmanship, cronyism, and corruption that remains endemic nationwide. Recent constitutional developments offer a glimmer of hope that may allow the civilian government to restore confidence in its ability to deliver both on the domestic and external front. But the government needs to stop relying on external actors to bail it out and take matters into its own hands.
- Topic:
- Security, Development, Economics, Government, Governance, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan and Southeast Asia
4. Afghanistan Report: A Ten-Year Framework for the Future
- Author:
- Ashraf Ghani
- Publication Date:
- 04-2009
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Describing the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan as increasingly perilous, President Obama has committed his administration to enhancing the military, governance, and economic capacity of the two countries. On March 27, 2009, he announced plans to launch a new strategy in the region: To succeed, we and our friends and allies must reverse the Taliban's gains and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government. . . . Afghanistan has an elected government, but it is undermined by corruption and has difficulty delivering basic services to its people. The economy is undercut by a booming narcotics trade that encourages criminality and funds the insurgency. The people of Afghanistan seek the promise of a better future. Yet once again, they have seen the hope of a new day darkened by violence and uncertainty.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Development, Economics, Military Strategy, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan and Afghanistan