Success in Afghanistan start with tribal leaders

By Col. William Peterson

There will never be a military solution in Afghanistan without a political solution. President Hamid Karzai's administration is so corrupt in Kabul that it is not part of the solution, but part of the problem.

We need to bypass Kabul and its corrupt middlemen and go straight to tribal leaders on a valley-by-valley basis.

An excellent example of how effective this working with tribal leaders can be is the example of the 2nd battalion, 8th Marines' efforts in Helmund valley since last June. The Marine commanders on the ground are working directly with tribal leaders in directing reconstruction efforts, assisting in establishing local governance and helping setting up local militias.

This is similar to the CAG Units marines set up in Vietnam, where a marine platoon was paired up with a Vietnamese popular forces platoon to do security operations for their village.

Attacks are down in 2nd battalion, 8th Marines' tactical area of responsibility, village markets are thriving, schools are being built, there is the rule of law, and justice is being served. All of this with no approval or control from Kabul. They do need more troops to expand this effort and this is where the first 9,000 Marine reinforcements are going now.

This will allow a joint marine/Afghanistan offensive against the heart of the Taliban in Marja in southern Helmund valley. The local Afghans love to see Afghan soldiers taking control of former Taliban strongholds with the help of their marine mentors.

The vast majority of the Pashtun in Helmund do not like the Taliban nor do they want the reestablishment of Sharia Law. All they want is security from the Taliban, 24/7, reinstitution of justice and a crackdown on corruption.

The support of local tribal leaders is critical in separating local Taliban from their al-Qaida masters by offering them good-paying jobs in village militias or construction labor on reconstruction projects paid for by the local marine commanders.

This reconciliation at the local level is crucial to our success because we cannot kill our way to victory.

Semper Fidelis!

Col. William Peterson of North Liberty is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps.