We Still Need a Better Plan for Afghanistan

What exactly is an exit strategy in the military sense and specifically in Afghanistan? I’ll state that it is simply a set of conditions for deciding that combat operations are no longer required. Before we can end the war in any other way than by totally destroying an enemy we must have as clear objective. Since total destruction is out of the question for a number of reasons, then the US must declare what it is exactly that we hope to accomplish.

An exit strategy implies that we will execute a conditions based plan to some very objective. This plan should be time bound just like any other project/operation, and contrary to popular “political” opinion, the high level plan and time estimate can be published. The risk of enemy exploitation is in the details which do not have to be publicized. If you have a good plan, and you effectively execute it, and your time estimates are correct, you should be able to set a goal for leaving that does not help the enemy. Having said all that, you also have to be able to reasonably adjust for changes in the situation. As long as these changes make sense and you communicate them properly the public support will be there.

Unfortunately, every one of these (and other) military planning and operational principles have been violated by our generals and both the Bush and Obama Administrations. People may take offense that I hold our generals accountable and not just the two presidents, but the truth is clear. We have been at war for 8 years and we are just now figuring out a strategy? As a former counterinsurgent from the 1980’s and 1990’s I find this very hard to understand since a number of officers I worked closely with are now generals. Other senior officers with extensive counterinsurgency experience who have retired from the military have tried to make things clear as well, but to no avail. We lack for leadership and it will be our undoing in Afghanistan.

Good officers will tell you two important things: don’t just throw more and more troops at a problem, and don’t start any military operation without first figuring out what "mission accomplished" means.

It may not be too late to turn things around in Afghanistan, nut it does not appear that the current administration has any better leadership skills than the previous one. Simply doing the opposite of the Bush Administration will not bring success to the Obama Administration. We need better leadership, a clear objective, and a better plan.