All of the ideas and solutions I have put forth here are just some thoughts that have been circulating in my head for some time. Some of them may be pie in the sky. Some of them may need a little more research as to what facilities and resources are available. And some of them may not be "thinking outside the box" but just common sense. For the last eight years we have been stuck in the ideological box of right wing pundits, blowhards, Chickenhawks, liars, warmongers and psychopaths. So if my definition of "outside the box" actually might be construed as common sense, it’s because of the past eight years of banging my head against their box.
Dissect, dismantle, add to my ramblings and breaking out of their box below the fold.
After the invasion of Afghanistan there were speeches and experts explaining how Afghanistan would become a much more civilized country because the United States and its coalition partners would help rebuild and modernize its infrastructure and political system. Sadly this was never the plan or if it was, it was criminally mismanaged. After the "successful" defeat of the Taliban, there was an opportunity to commit resources to restore the basic needs of the citizens of Afghanistan such as reliable electricity, clean water, sewage treatment facilities, communication and most importantly, transportation. Unfortunately the United States under the Bush administration changed directions and put all of it energy into the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Afghanistan was left on the back burner and became a textbook example of how not to win the "hearts and minds" of a nation.
Flash forward to August 29, 2005. Hurricane slams into the Gulf coast leaving in its path severe destruction along the coast from central Florida to Texas. The lack of response by the Bush administration echoed the debacle they had created in Afghanistan. While watching the events of Katrina unfold I was struck by the lack of "thinking outside the box" by those in charge. Where were the armed forces? If there is one thing the military is good at, it is mobilization and action. Contingency plans are drawn up for just about everything and there are plenty of smart people who can put together an ad hoc operation in response to most any situation. On September 4, 2005, I received an email from one of my friends who was in the Air force for 25 years:
For 25 years, I was of the belief that my USAF uniform was worn for the people who were paying me - Mr and Mrs American taxpayer.
Just as you did, I watched in horror, day after day, the tax-paying citizens of New Orleans, Biloxi, Gulfport and communities in between, begging for any help they could get. BEGGING FOR THEIR LIVES.
Keesler AFB was in Katrina's bulls eye, taking a major hit - EXCEPT FOR THE RUNWAY.
So all last week I am having flashbacks of my time in the USAF blue uniform.
Between wars, I was in command and control units in the Air National Guard. MOBILITY was my middle name. Every year we practiced instant mobilizations, where we had to deploy our radar site in Air Force aircraft - get this - IN 2 DAYS from the time of notification.
Before and after Desert Storm, I was in an Air Force Reserve search and rescue unit in Portland, Oregon. MOBILITY was my middle name. This was a full time mission assigned to the Air Force Reserve. Our helicopter and C-130 crews deployed on A MOMENT'S NOTICE to pluck people off mountains, out of swollen rivers, out of the forests - some injured, some not, some dead. Lives were risked to go into the blast zone to save people from the erupting Mt. St. Helens. We flew para-rescuers to Homestead, FL to save victims of Hurricane Andrew. We flew rescuers to San Francisco after the killer earthquakes in Oakland. None of these people had to asked to be saved. THIS WAS OUR JOB. We mobilized on A MOMENT'S NOTICE. That was the name of our unit's newspaper. I was the PAO that produced it and worked with the media who covered the courageous deeds of my colleagues.
I spent my last 6 years working full time for the USAFR in California airlift units. MOBILITY was my middle name. The aircraft in my units flew HUMANITARIAN AIRLIFT missions. We flew water purifications systems and medical help to refugees in Rwanda. We flew water delivery systems and medical help to the refugees in Somalia. We flew canine search teams to Oklahoma City after the bombings. We airlifted and air-dropped food and supplies to North Dakota after a killer blizzard. MOBILITY was our game, and when we took off, you can be sure that help was on the way.
SHOCK and AWE describes me now. I am in total SHOCK over how our Gulf Coast neighbors - TAX-PAYERS who pay for our military forces -- were left to suffer and die, day after day. What happened to MOBILITY???? What happened to HUMANITARIAN AIRLIFT????
Then there's AWE - as in "awe shit" after I received the Keesler AFB damage report from a group of former USAF radar operators and ground controllers. I went to tech school at Keesler in 1972 at the height of the Cambodian bombing raids, to be trained to tell fighter pilots where to go in the war zone.
But the "awe-shit" reaction was not because of flashbacks to that other war. It was in knowing that RESCUE and MOBILITY and HUMANITARIAN AIRLIFT into and out of Keesler AFB was possible before and after Katrina. These assets could have been staged somewhere nearby, gee - like at Scott AFB in Illinois - HEADQUARTERS FOR THE USAF'S AIR MOBILITY COMMAND - and then flown in to Keesler. There could have been a MASS EVAC out of Keesler after the 'cane. The Air Force practices these every day, all over the world.
Name removed, Major, USAFR, retired
Vietnam, Desert Storm, Cold War
VFP Chapter 119 - Tampa Bay
Mom, citizen, tax-payer
Where was the mobility? Where was the critical response by the Bush administration to the devastation of the Gulf coast? Missing in action. They could not "think outside the box" if they were even thinking at all. As I watched the news, I kept thinking, "I know how they could get supplies and emergency equipment to these areas, why aren’t they doing it?" In the summer of 1967 I was stationed a Fort Rucker Alabama, the main helicopter training unit for the US Army. It is 325 miles from New Orleans. I went from Fort Rucker to Hunter Army Airfield outside Savannah, Georgia which is 675 miles from New Orleans. There were lots of helicopters (UH-1 Huey, UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook) stationed at both of these installations and with the logistics of setting up refueling depots between both installations (not that difficult), there could have been hundreds of flights bringing in supplies and taking out survivors of Katrina. Where were they? Stuck in a box. On the news I saw the beaches of the Gulf coast mostly free of debris as an open invitation for the US Air Force to come in with C-130 Hercules cargo planes off loading supplies and equipment using the Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES) method.
LAPES involves loading supplies on a special pallet on a plane. Once a plane reaches the desired drop point, the pilot descends to a very low altitude of typically under 2 m. Once achieved, the cargo hatch is opened and the extraction parachute is deployed; once the parachute catches the wind outside the craft, it pulls the connected supplies out of the plane and on to the ground. Once the delivery is accomplished, the pilot ascends to a normal altitude and returns to base.
How many tons of supplies and equipment could have been delivered up and down the Gulf coast if the Air Force was allowed to "think outside the box"? All branches of the military have a cadre of officers and enlisted personnel who are trained to figure all this out and mobilize. Where were they? They were stuck in a box. The Bush administration could not "think outside the box" because it was filled with incompetent, politically appointed officials who had no clue of what was available to them. I am sure there were Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine and Army officers banging their heads against their desks thinking, "I can get that to New Orleans". Just as I am sure there were hundreds of pilots thinking "I can fly in there if they would just let me". Just as I am sure there were logistical personnel laying awake at night running various scenarios over and over in their minds thinking "If we do this..." Which brings me back to Afghanistan.
The first question to ask is; what is the outcome we want for Afghanistan? The chattering class have been talking of lowered expectations as to our mission in Afghanistan. I reject that because I can "think outside the box." The people of Afghanistan want what all people want; food, shelter, basic services like clean water, reliable electricity, sewage treatment and security for their families which includes economic security. This is what will end the anger and strife. This will be the beginning of a peaceful, secure nation. How do we get there by "thinking outside the box?"
Let history be our guide. For 11 months (June 1948 through May of 1949), the United States and our allies carried out one of the most amazing operations ever conducted, "Operation Vittles", better know as the Berlin Airlift, 278,228 flights delivered 2,326,406 tons of supplies. This was "thinking outside the box" on a grand scale. How do we apply this to Afghanistan?
Let’s give this operation a snappy name first, because we can’t do anything it seems unless we have one. Taking my cue from American pop culture, I suggest "Operation Get‘er done".
Now that that’s out of the way, let us "think outside the box". Afghanistan poses some very tough problems because it is a landlocked country. One of the first issues that needs to be resolved is; where do we bring in the supplies and equipment? The closest seaports are located at Port Qasim, Gwadar Port and the Port of Karachi, all in Pakistan. Russia has indicated they will allow supplies into Afghanistan through their border after the Kyrgyzstan government closed the Manas Air Base.
There is also Iran to consider. They share a border with Afghanistan and have in the past offered assistance in helping to stabilize Afghanistan. Iran has a real problem with drugs coming from Afghanistan. This drug war has cost them over $600 million in the last two years. In addition to the flow of drugs, refugees and human trafficking and violence are also disrupting Iran's eastern border. A stable Afghanistan is in the best interest of Iran. Skillful diplomacy will be needed to provide both the US and Iran with a win-win situation. The US cannot repeat the mistakes of the Bush administration and treat Iran as anything other than a co-equal in this endeavor. After 911, Iran offered assistance and was then later labeled as part of the "Axis of evil". Stupid statecraft is not what is needed. Secretary of State Clinton, at the direction of the President, is already starting this process with the Hague Conference on Afghanistan scheduled for March 31. This may not be "outside the box" thinking since diplomacy and dialog are standard international tools that civilized nations participate in. It is a dramatic departure from the last eight years however. The door is open. Let’s walk through it.
Logistics win wars, ask any student of history. It also is the key to responding to natural disasters. One example that has always struck me as a textbook relief effort is "Operation Sea Angel", a response by the United States to the devastation visited on Bangladesh brought on by Cyclone Marian in 1991. From a report at GlobalSecurity.com:
Operation Sea Angel / Productive Effort
Between 10 May and 13 June 1991 Joint Task Force Sea Angel, one of the largest military disaster relief forces ever assembled, was sent to the aid of the people of Bangladesh in the wake of the destruction of the tropical cyclone Marian. Cyclone Marian (29-30 April 1991) was one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in recent times. Marian's 140 mile-per-hour winds and an eight-meter tidal wave devastated Bangladesh, killing nearly 140,000 people and leaving over 5 million people homeless. Within 24 hours of a request for support from the government of Bangladesh, Operation Sea Angel was launched, and advance teams from the III Marine Expeditionary Force arrive in country for initial liaison. Operation Sea Angel began on 10 May and involved over 7,000 US soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen. A fifteen-ship amphibious task force composed of Amphibious Group 3 and the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, homeward bound from five months of operations in the Persian Gulf, was diverted to the Bay of Bengal to assist. Over the next month, 6,700 Navy and Marine Corps personnel working with U.S. Army, Air Force, and multinational forces, provide food, water, and medical care to nearly two million people. The relief efforts of U.S. troops are credited with having saved as many as 200,000 lives.
In 2007, "Operation Sea Angel II" was launched in support of relief efforts after Bangladesh was struck by Cyclone Sidr. The operation was another success and demonstrated the US could mobilize its resources quickly and efficiently in co-operation with other nations and non-governmental agency to alleviate the suffering of the people hit by these natural disasters. "Operation Sea Angel" showed that the US military can, if given the authority, go from making war to making peace, just as they did during the Berlin Airlift, because they are trained in logistics.
Let us consider the logistics for rebuilding Afghanistan. Does the infrastructure of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran have the capacity and capability to deliver the goods? What are the goods? Transportation of any supplies and equipment depends on the capacity of sea, railroad, surface roads and air facilities. The port facilities in Pakistan are capable of processing hundreds of thousand containers per year. In recent developments, India has completed and handed over to the Afghan government the Zaranj-Delaram highway, linking Afghanistan with the Iranian sea port of Chabahar. India, Iran, Pakistan and China all have commercial interests that would be enhanced by the stabilization of Afghanistan. Just as the Silk Road facilitated "global commerce" in days past, the interconnection of these countries can bring about mutual cooperation in the efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. Getting your goods to market can be a powerful incentive.
Getting the containers and other equipment and supplies from the ports to the field will rely on railroads and surface roads. Unfortunately the railroads and surface roads in Afghanistan are not in very good shape. This is where the model of the Berlin Airlift can be utilized. There has been a downturn in the shipping industry due to the recent economic conditions. Ships are riding empty waiting for cargo. Let’s give it to them. How much excess road building and construction equipment is sitting idle? Unemployment in Afghanistan is around 40 percent which has allowed the Taliban to recruit members because in many areas the Taliban provides the only opportunity to receive basic health care and money for food and clothing. Providing meaningful employment with a living wage would reduce the ability of the Taliban to recruit fighters. By providing a massive influx of equipment and supplies to build an infrastructure that meets the basic transportation needs of the Afghan people, goods and services can get to market. With markets stabilized, other services such as schools, hospitals and clinics can be rebuilt and expanded. This will not be easy. The Taliban and other reactionary forces will try to disrupt these projects. This is where the massive scope of "Operation Get‘er done" can play a significant role in defeating these reactionary forces. Will they try and stop all of these projects or will they concentrate of only a few? If the former, will they be spread too thin? If the latter, will it then make it easier to interdict their forces? By providing adequate security for these projects, and developing human intelligence assets, any attacks should be able to be repulsed. If the people see progress and rising employment and economic conditions, support for the Taliban should drop. How many Taliban "fighters" recruited due to economic conditions will desert and get in on the new construction? If the government is now providing better services than the Taliban, will the people stop supporting them? Can the Taliban and other reactionary forces mount a country wide offensive against these projects if there hundreds of them in operation?
These are questions that must be answered. My belief is that human nature will give us a clue. When an opportunity to provide gainful employment coupled with the prospect of reduced violence presents itself, people will always chose peace and prosperity. The Afghan people are not lazy, they want to work. They want a better life for their families. We can give them this opportunity.
How to implement "Operation Get‘er done"? From an American point of view, we must divest ourselves of the notion that we have all the answers. I have always believed that Presidents should have a cadre of historians and anthropologists in the White House. Truth tellers if you will. Our foreign policy mistakes from the Mexican War to the present day are proof that; "Those who don’t learn from the past are destined to repeat it." When ideology trumps facts, we always get in trouble. Stop believing the propaganda spewing out of think tanks and their "experts". Think tanks are set up to promote ideological positions.
The Hague Conference on Afghanistan is a start in developing relationships between nations affected by the instability of Afghanistan. From this conference a working group could be formed to negotiate responsibilities, resources and funding. Equality of the participants must be stressed. The US cannot expect to advance any solution if it plays the part of the all knowing superpower. A neutral country’s representative might be the best choice to lead the group. Respect for participating nations by the US will be paramount. While the US has always thought of itself as the leader of the free world, it would be wise to take the advice of General Wesley Clark; "The essence of leadership is that you can't believe you have a monopoly on wisdom." Basing decisions on facts instead of believing the distortions of politically "spin" by both friends and adversaries can bring about real solutions to benefit all parties involved.
The one country which will cause the most heartburn to those who want an American triumph in all things is Iran. The mistrust between the US and Iran is real, and it has real causes. Both are proud nations with a history of political blunders leading to the current tensions between them. It is time to recognize that Iran has every right to be part of the dialog between nations and not an international pariah just because the US has refused to open diplomatic relations with them. The Iranian people do not "hate" the US and if the American people were told the truth about the people of Iran, there would be an opening up of communication between the two countries based on mutual interests. Yes, Iran can be a brutal place run by an extreme ideology. At the same time the US has diplomatic ties with some of the most repressive regimes ever to exist. It is all based on whose ox was gored in the past and a need to placate the most extreme elements at home. It is time to end the fruitless exercises of isolation of countries that are demonized by political hacks. John F. Kennedy gave us these words of wisdom; "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." Fear has always been used to propagandize a nation into war or suspicion of others. It is time we stopped being afraid.
Now is the time to take bold steps. It is time to mobilize. It is time to put away the old suspicions. It is time to recognize that the security of Afghanistan does not depend on military operations (as President Obama expressed in his latest policy speech); it depends on those nations affected in the region that can come together in the spirit of mutual cooperation and economic development to finally end Afghanistan being the "Graveyard of Empires" and instead be the keystone to peace in the region.
"The solution to terrorism is not going to be found in bullets. It's not going to be found in precision ordnance or targeted strikes. It's really going to be found in changing the conditions. It's going to be found in establishing a global safety net that starts with security and goes to economic development and political development and the kinds of modernization which let others enjoy the fruits of modernization that we as Americans enjoy."
~ Gen. Wesley Clark, October 17, 2001, Annual Lecture sponsored by the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy at Temple University