CIAO DATE: 02/2010
December 2009
United States Institute of Peace
By all accounts, the civilian role in creating a stable Afghanistan, capable of protecting its citizens and providing essential services, is at least as important as the military operation. President Barack Obama said on December 1, 2009 that 30,000 additional U.S. forces “will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.” But this task cannot be exclusively focused on military forces. The development of Afghan capacity and leadership on the civilian side is also fundamental to our success.
Resource link: Establishing Leadership on Civilian Assistance to Afghanistan [PDF] - 160K