Security in Afghanistan the Key First Ingredient to Building Peace in a "Failed State"

Operations in Afghanistan began less than 1-month after the horrific events of 11 September 2001. Although Operation Enduring Freedom enjoys the support of over 40 coalition partners, the eyes of the world remain focused on the U.S.' ability to effect real change in Afghanistan. For this reason, the United States' reputation as a reliable, dependable, and competent agent of democratic change, rests with the future success of Afghanistan. If the United States is willing to break nations like they have in Afghanistan, the US must be equally willing to rebuild these broken nations. To say that the US doesn't do nation building would be inaccurate. However, many argue that the U.S. doesn't do nation building very well. In order to re-focus political attention on improving peace building capabilities across all four instruments of national power, (diplomatic, information, military, and economic), twenty-five members of Congress, led by Democratic Lynn Woolsey and Republicans James Leach and Todd Russell--wrote a letter to Army Secretary Thomas White. The letter explained, "as our ongoing war in Afghanistan demonstrates, international issues today require civil-military partnerships as never before. Whether it is called peacekeeping, public security or nation-building, the fact is that our success in Afghanistan will depend in part on building social and political stability over the long-term."1 This research paper will dissect the nuances of building security in Afghanistan and will answer the question of why peace operations like Afghanistan are so difficult.

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