Afghans Have to Want to Help Themselves | Malou Innocent | Cato Institute: Commentary

Afghans Have to Want to Help Themselves | Malou Innocent | Cato Institute: Commentary: "the U.S. Army and Marine Corps' Counterinsurgency Field Manual deems the legitimacy of the host nation's government a critical component for combating an insurgency."

"there is no legitimate host government in Afghanistan. Graft and corruption are extremely pervasive, from President Hamid Karzai himself down to the lowliest traffic policeman."

"the COIN manual suggests 20 to 25 troops per 1,000 indigenous inhabitants, a ratio that would force foreign troop levels to 200,000 in southern Afghanistan alone and to well above 650,000 overall (particularly given insurgent inroads in the north)."

"as demonstrated by the failed Christmas Day bomber, the fact that terrorists can still make it into America throws into question the entire notion that we must amass hundreds of thousands of troops in Muslim-majority countries. If America must start a war wherever terrorist groups hide, then wars of armed nation building must commence in Somalia and Yemen, too. Most importantly, if America's national security strategy is not about protecting America but rather bringing countries out of poverty at the barrel of a gun, what about Bangladesh? Or Congo? Or Haiti? As I wrote last night while liveblogging, 'Haitians might want to pray that al Qaeda swims over to Hispaniola, maybe then America and its allies can pave Haiti's roads, build Haiti's schools, and create a self-sufficient, noncorrupt, stable electoral democracy there, too (I won't hold my breath).'"