Print
Email
ShareRaising the Curtain on U.S. Drone Strikes
Micah Zenko interviewed by Greg BrunoDespite recent successes, unmanned drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan remain a controversial tactic. CFR's Micah Zenko says the Obama...
Interviewee: Thomas H. Johnson, Director, Culture and Conflict Studies, Naval Postgraduate School
Interviewer: Greg Bruno, Staff Writer, CFR.org
December 11, 2008
With attacks against Afghan civilians and soldiers of the international coalition rising, the U.S. military is searching for a new strategy to restore stability. Among the ideas being considered is the enlistment of Afghan tribes to secure areas targeted by the Taliban and al-Qaeda. In Iraq the strategy is widely credited with stabilizing Anbar and other restive provinces. But Thomas Johnson, a research professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, cautions against rushing toward a tribal reconciliation strategy in Afghanistan.
Johnson says the tribal situation in Afghanistan is much more complex than in Iraq. "In Iraq, the coalition forces had the luxury of dealing with tribal councils who helped reconcile differences with different nationalist insurgent groups against a common foreign foe, al-Qaeda," he says. "In the south of Afghanistan, while there are foreigners, this is much more of a local insurgency, where probably 95 percent of the insurgents are homegrown, and only 5 percent are foreign."
Johnson says there are five supertribes and roughly 350 subtribes in Afghanistan, many of which have been involved in violent blood feuds for centuries. "Many of these animosities are based on long historical patterns that still play out in Afghanistan today," and arming or supporting the wrong ones could deepen the country's crisis, Johnson says.
Terms of Use: I understand that I may access this audio and/or video file solely for my personal use. Any other use of the file and its content, including display, distribution, reproduction, or alteration in any form for any purpose, whether commercial, noncommercial, educational, or promotional, is expressly prohibited without the written permission of the copyright owner, the Council on Foreign Relations. For more information, write outreach@cfr.org.
Saudi Arabia on the Edge
A leading Middle East scholar pens this "good introduction to the Saudi paradox of social change and political stability and an invaluable guide to the challenges the country faces." More
American Force
An investigation of the use of American force since the end of the Cold War. More
The Struggle for Egypt
A sweeping account of Egypt in the modern era: what Egypt is, what it stands for, and its relation to the world. More
Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East
Gause posits that, though the Arab Awakening has caused tensions in Saudi-American relations, the two countries do not face a crisis and still have significant mutual interests that should be prioritized.
Partners in Preventive Action
The authors assess the strengths and weaknesses of international institutions and provide a set of practical recommendations for how the United States can strengthen the global architecture for preventive action by partnering with those organizations.
Despite recent successes, unmanned drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan remain a controversial tactic. CFR's Micah Zenko says the Obama...
U.S. President Barack Obama's new Afghan strategy is expected to include an influx of more than thirty thousand troops and an exit plan. He...
As President Barack Obama ponders his next move in Afghanistan, civilian and military strategists are pushing different approaches on the way...
U.S. military leaders are calling for more troops to carry out U.S. counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan. Six analysts offer views on...