US Officials Prepare New Campaign for Afghan Security

Under protection from American and British troops, American engineers, diplomats and aid workers may deploy to Gardez in eastern Afghanistan in January, possibly establishing a hub for long-delayed reconstruction projects. Infrastructure improvements will help enhance the security environment in Afghanistan's provinces, US officials hope. Despite the shift in focus, however, the Defense Department appears set to retain an influential role in guiding overall US policy.

For the first time since American-led forces began bombing Afghanistan in October 2001, US officials are turning their attention away from efforts to root out Taliban and al Qaeda holdouts, refocusing on the complex task of rebuilding a war-ravaged state. The plan awaits the approval of US President George W. Bush.

Over the past few months, security has crashed in many parts of Afghanistan. Visiting Afghanistan over the Thanksgiving weekend, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Tommy Franks, said that extremists were active in as much as one third of the country. In the north, sporadic conflict among rival warlords has forced aid agencies to stop working. American bases around the country face rocket barrages almost every day. Bombs and rockets continue to turn up in Kabul. In the west near Herat, Americans used B-52 bombers to free up a group of American soldiers who had come under fire on December 1.

Zalmay Khalilzad, Bush's special envoy to Afghanistan now says that "the expansion of reconstruction in turn will have a positive effect on security." (Khalilzad announced on December 2 that he would become a roving ambassador for dissident Iraqis; Reagan administration veteran Elliott Abrams is set to replace him as the chief US envoy on Afghan issues). The Defense Department is now considering creating enclaves in some 13 cities and towns where civil-military officers, army engineers, officials from the State Department and US Agency for International Development (USAID) can live and work under protection from US and British troops.

"It would produce what I call the ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] effect, it would facilitate reconstruction that would give people a sense of confidence," says Khalilzad. So far, Pentagon officials have carried out 225 small projects, such as rebuilding schools and bridges. The new plan would deploy 200 to 300 additional civil affairs officers around the country.

The Afghan government and the United Nations have conditionally welcomed the move. "It's better than nothing," says a senior UN official in Kabul. Karzai's national security advisor, Zalmay Rassol, calls it "a positive step in the right direction." Others are expressing skepticism. "It is not yet clear what will be the position of European aid agencies, the central government and other non-governmental organizations in these American enclaves outside Kabul," says Francesc Vendrell, the European Union representative for Afghanistan. "Reconstruction has to be a multi-national effort, which is why you need an ISAF force."

Establishing order in Afghanistan remains Karzai's top priority. On December 2, at a meeting in Bonn, Karzai pledged to create a 70,000-member Afghan army. This follows a long campaign to expand the United Nations' ISAF, consisting of 4,800 soldiers from 22 countries, to areas outside the capital city, Kabul. Americans initially blocked the expansion, fearing it would interfere with the hunt for al Qaeda. While the Bush administration began to half-heartedly support the expansion concept this summer, European nations, especially those who might have to supply additional troops, remain wary. Germany and the Netherlands will inherit the ISAF command from Turkey in December for a six-month stint, with new air surveillance from NATO and continuing air cover by American forces. Nonetheless, Afghan officials remain worried about public safety in the provinces.

The Pentagon's conduct in Afghanistan so far has prompted some criticism. Representatives of non-governmental organizations have criticized the Defense Department's 60 or so civil affairs officers, who carry arms and wear uniforms. NGOs say these officers blur the distinction between soldiers and aid workers, exposing civilian aid workers to reprisal attacks by extremists. Moreover, NGOs say that the Pentagon officers work closely with local warlords, strengthening rather than weakening their holds on power. The new enclaves would depend on the goodwill of pro-US warlords, and would not necessarily coordinate well with the central government. This could frustrate Karzai's government, which has struggled to establish its authority in the provinces. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archives]. It is also unclear how such enclaves will cover the entire country, protecting citizens from violence and discouraging al Qaeda fighters.

While the Pentagon prepares its reconstruction strategy, American lawmakers have joined the call for an expanded ISAF. In November, Congress passed a $3.3 billion aid package that urges President Bush to back a UN expansion of the force. The bill now has to go through several appropriations committees but officials say it has Bush's support. US officials say they fear that failure to rebuild Afghanistan more swiftly has sent an unwelcome message around the Muslim world. In addition, some officials hope the new stabilization approach could serve as a potential model for the reconstruction of Iraq, in the event that the United States launches a military offensive against Baghdad and succeeds in driving Saddam Hussein from power.

"Our reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan