One of the hardest tasks of any military force in a foreign country is to befriend the people in whose land it operates. Afghanistan is famous for its intolerance of foreign military on its land. The US military that came in after one of the most vigorous bombing maneuvers by it in a foreign land to topple Taleban government, wanted to be looked at as a liberating force. Initially many Afghans welcomed the undertaking. Its continued stay in the country, according to the Afghan government, provided some degree of stability and security to at least the capital city where also exist the International Security and Assistance Force put together by the United Nations.

But prolongation of the mission, and, in the face of the huge military excursions by the United States, the news of existence of pockets of Taleban and the Al-Qaeda inside or near the eastern and southeastern and southern borders of Afghanistan plus some considerable collateral damage due to bombardments and attacks as well as the US military operations and some errors of judgment have given rise to expression of some degree of resistance to the continued existence of the US forces in Afghanistan. Recently, news of rocket attacks on US bases in an increasing manner gave rise to the concern that something may be wrong somewhere.

Emergence of propaganda material plus the fact that just across the border from Afghanistan in the South there are considerable activity by the extremists who vow daily to fight for the expulsion of the US forces from Afghanistan, has contributed to the increased attacks on the US military. These attacks apparently come from remnants of Taleban and Al-Qaeda, who find some support among the mullahs who, this time, are armed not with guns, but with their ability to work on peoples religious beliefs and fears.

Aware to some degree of the sensitivities of the Afghans, the US military has so far embarked upon a variety of approaches, such as participating in the process of the physical reconstruction of Afghanistan in some areas. The US has consistently rejected requests by the government for further involvement in security affairs. Although some of its members serve as personal life guards to the president of Afghanistan, the US military has not involved itself in issues of daily security or security at large in Afghanistan. One of the activities of the US military that has caused concern among ordinary Afghans is its close cooperation with the warlords in the country. The US military and the warlords need each other for different reasons. The US relies on the cooperation of the warlords in its fight against Taleban and Al-Qaeda. The warlords find security and continuity to their rule as a result of friendship with the US forces. But the nation that wants complete freedom from the yoke of warlordism remains perplexed as to the above relationship.

Recently, it seems that president Karzai and the US military have in their joint quest to use the US military beyond military objectives decided to assign a nonmilitary diplomatic role to the US forces commander. General Dan McNeill took up the job of a mediator between two warlords. He was to make a meeting between the powerful warlord Gul Agha Shairzai, the governor of Kandahar and General Ismael Khan, a veteran leader and governor of Herat province. Shairzai a Pushtoon leader and Khan a Tajik ruler, both veterans of the war against the Soviet Union and the Taleban, did not see eye to eye on many issues related to the governance of their respective provinces. One example of their differences reflected in the fact that Afghan merchants were to pay customs duty on their merchandise upon entering Herat. This deprived the Kandahar province of a considerable source of income. It is to be realized that customs tariffs and duty have traditionally made a major source of income of the state in Afghanistan. So last Saturday, General McNeill went to Kandahar and together with the governor of Kandahar proceeded to Herat. The two strongmen of the South and the West in Afghanistan met for talks and later told newsmen that they were proud of their relationship and that the meeting was useful and fruitful. Now the credit in this goes to General McNeill who although accompanied by two State Department officials, played all the diplomacy needed, himself. The event is a tell tale indication that in Afghanistan today everything can happen, including the metamorphosis of a general into a diplomat. It is however the how and whys of the event that make it more interesting. It also shows that in Afghanistan today there are kingdoms within kingdoms. For example while in the past the revenues collected by the provinces were turned into the state treasury and was used for government purposes all over the country, today each province acts as if it were the central government itself.

The lesson to be learned from this experience tells us that should the US military stay longer and past complete annihilation of Taleban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, it should assume a role beyond military. But is it really what the people of Afghanistan want or need? The US military involvement in issues related to warlords may strengthen the position of the warlords to the degree that they may acquire a lasting status in Afghan politics. The Afghan president has, more than once, inside Afghanistan and in his speeches outside including the one in the United Nations has vowed to end warlordism. The US military as allies of the present administration should therefore help the president meet his promise of doing away with warlords. 9/22/02