Written by Joshua Patton

One of President Obama’s first moves in the war effort after assuming the role of commander in chief was to stop calling the military effort a “global war on terror.”  Many that found the war effort of the previous administration at least misguided, lauded this change as a grand switch of philosophy.  An acknowledgement by the incoming administration that the concept of going to war with a battle tactic is perhaps the wrong way to approach dealing with the world a decade after the attack of September 11, 2001.  Osama Bin Laden was the great villain, the figurehead of terrorism, and now that he is gone and questions have been raised about Pakistan, many Americans – some for the first time – are asking, “Why are we still in Afghanistan?”.

The problem or at least one of the problems with Afghanistan is the troubling question of loyalty.  There have been a number of reports about Afghani military switching sides or firing on NATO troops, because in Afghanistan they live a culture of conflict.  Wais, an Afghan student studying at the University of Pittsburgh, explains it: “It’s fighting season over there.  There have been ‘invaders’ in the country for decades and for many rural people like my cousins there is a time for harvest, a time for trading, but this is the season for fighting.”  For the majority of Afghans, it is about protecting their land and their immediate family, tribal factions can unite against a foreign invader, but will still often fight amongst themselves.  While Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda had a religious justification for their fight, the Taliban has become more realistic.

Both the top commander in Afghanistan, Major General John Campbell and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, both think that with Bin Laden dead, militants will be more likely to surrender.  Yet, despite the President’s plan that would end combat operations and hand over security to the Afghan army by 2014, there are those out there that remain skeptical about that.  Similarly, there are those who remain skeptical about engaging diplomatically with the Taliban.   Secretary Gates, however, thinks that as the Taliban separates from Al-Qaeda, there may be hope.  When the Taliban and Al-Qaeda were more closely intertwined, they said that the internet was evil and should be avoided.  However, last December, the Taliban joined Twitter.  They sent out twitter updates only in Pashtun, but now also send out English tweets as well.  Yes, it is a way for them to try to reach out to the youth, but this also is indicative that this conflict is wearing them down as well.

The solution to the Afghan problem will be found through diplomacy, not just military effort.  Perhaps the best hope would be an alliance between Karzai’s Kabul and the Taliban, where they have a system similar to the one that began our nation:  a federal government with limited powers supported by provincial governments with some measure of autonomy.  Those who want a more westernized style of life and those who adhere to a more orthodox, religious lifestyle can coexist in different places.  While maybe naïve, this sort of situation would allow the US to leave Afghanistan and put their future firmly in the hands of their people, for better or worse.