Obama's Strategy Shift in Afghanistan

[OttoVonBismarck]

Link

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama unveiled a new Afghanistan strategy that calls for devoting significant new resources to counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan and economic development in Pakistan, according to senior U.S. officials.

Under one facet of the plan, U.S. or Afghan troops will first offer Afghan farmers free wheat seed to replace their crops that produce opium. If the farmers refuse, U.S. or Afghan personnel will burn their fields, and then again offer them free replacement seeds. A senior U.S. military official described the approach as a "carrot, stick, carrot" effort.

This is interesting.  I'm actually in total agreement with Obama's approach here, it's more than obvious at this point that Europe isn't going to ever have the stomach to commit a meaningful amount of actual soldiers to southern Afghanistan. 

As far as burning the fields of Afghani farmers, that's a can of worms.  I think it is a can of worms worth opening as denying the Taliban opium income would severely hurt their overall situation.  It's hard to fight a war when you can't buy weapons.  At the same time though, on the local level, no one likes the United States coming in and burning your fields.  The farmers, the families of the farmers, the communities that rely on these fields will most likely be more entrenched ideologically as Taliban supporters after this.

Offering them wheat seed is all well and good, except the Taliban will most likely brutally murder any farmers that accept that offer and while I'm not farmer or drug dealer I am willing to bet you make more money per acre growing poppy plants than you do wheat.  I still think it is the right thing to do, I just wonder if people have the stomach for it.

[Caliga]

Greetings, Otto.

[garbon]

He's finally posted more than just about gamersgate.

[Admiral Yi]

The field burning idea would be a disaster.

[KRonn]

I support Pres Obama over all in his plans to put more efforts into Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Maybe he can take this on, try to bring it to a better  situation, after the Bush admin kind of left it in limbo. I just hope he's serious enough to stick it out when the going gets tough and the detractors clamor more loudly for us to leave.

[Tamas]

lol if you burn the fields of farmers you will make them your eternal enemy. It is much cheaper to just give the keys to the Taliban and go home.

[Valmy]

What would be the alternative to burning the fields?  Buy up all the harvest?

[Berkut]

What would be the alternative to burning the fields?  Buy up all the harvest?

I don't think that would encourage them to stop planting poppy.

US Rep: Hey, we need you to quit growing poppy.
Afghani farmer: Oh really? And what if I don't
US Dude: We will buy it from you!

[Valmy]

I don't think that would encourage them to stop planting poppy.

US Rep: Hey, we need you to quit growing poppy.
Afghani farmer: Oh really? And what if I don't
US Dude: We will buy it from you!

Well we could compensate them for it.  But yeah I do not really see another option besides buring fields or letting them sell the poppy.

[Fate]

Hey, hey, BHO, how many kids did you kill today? 

[Admiral Yi]

What would be the alternative to burning the fields?  Buy up all the harvest?

Heroin is a much bigger problem in Europe than it is in the US.  Let them come up with a solution.

[Fate]

I don't think that would encourage them to stop planting poppy.

US Rep: Hey, we need you to quit growing poppy.
Afghani farmer: Oh really? And what if I don't
US Dude: We will buy it from you!

Well we could compensate them for it.  But yeah I do not really see another option besides buring fields or letting them sell the poppy.

Buy the poppy. Sell what we need for medical purposes, and burn the rest?

[The Brain]

What would be the alternative to burning the fields?  Buy up all the harvest?

You already do.

[Warspite]

The field burning idea would be a disaster.

Yes.

"Hi, we're foreign and have a problem with street heroin. So we're going to offer you the opportunity to plant wheat and drastically reduce your income. Failing that, we'll burn down your crops, and then again give you the opportunity to drastically reduce your income."

[DGuller]

What would be the alternative to burning the fields?  Buy up all the harvest?

You already do.