What to do in Afghanistan

The cover story in the new Time magazine runs counter to the major presidential candidates' call this week to send more US troops to Afghanistan to control the resurgent Taliban and to make sure al Qaeda does not have a safe haven.

Harvard professor Rory Stewart, reporting from the capital of Kabul, writes: “The West should not increase troop numbers. In time, NATO allies, such as Germany and Holland, will probably want to draw down their numbers, and they should be allowed to do so...Nor should we increase our involvement in government and the economy...Afghans have the energy, pride and the competence to lead that process. The West, however, does not. It should not waste its money, its lives and its reputation trying to do the impossible. It should invest in what it does well. We do not have a moral obligation to do what we cannot do.”

But on Tuesday, both Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain said they would send thousands more US troops to Afghanistan, calling the country a key front in the war on terror.

Time also includes essays from both candidates along with Stewart's article.

Obama writes: “My first order as Commander in Chief will be to end the war in Iraq and refocus our efforts on Afghanistan and our broader security interests … I will send at least two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan and use this commitment to seek greater contributions -- with fewer restrictions -- from NATO allies. I will focus on training Afghan security forces and supporting an Afghan judiciary. I will once and for all dismantle al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The solution in Afghanistan is not just military -- it is political and economic. That is why I would also increase our nonmilitary aid by $1 billion. These resources should fund projects at the local level to impact ordinary Afghans, including the development of alternative livelihoods for poppy farmers. And we must demand better performance from the Afghan government through tough anticorruption safeguards on aid. Finally, we need a stronger and sustained partnership between Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATO to secure the border, to take out terrorist camps and to crack down on cross-border insurgents….And if we have actionable intelligence about high-level al-Qaeda targets, we must act if Pakistan will not or cannot.”

McCain writes: "Senator Barack Obama believes we can’t win in Afghanistan without losing in Iraq. In fact, the success of the surge in Iraq shows us the way to succeed in Afghanistan. It is by applying the tried-and-true principles of counterinsurgency used in the surge -- which Senator Obama opposed -- that we will win in Afghanistan …It’s time for an Afghan surge as well. The Afghan army is already a great success story: a multiethnic, battle-tested fighting force. The problem is, it’s too small, with a projected strength of only 80,000 troops. We need to at least double the size of the Afghan army and establish an international trust fund to provide long-term financing for the effort. We also need a stronger diplomatic effort. I will appoint a special presidential envoy to address disputes between Afghanistan and its neighbors.”