Shaping Europe's Afghan Surge

Published on 25 March 2009 

A largely unnoticed "surge" of European troops in Afghanistan now needs to be followed by a similar "surge" in civilian experts as part of a new European strategy for the country, argues the author of a new policy brief published by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), a leading pan-European think-tank.

The ECFR policy brief includes the first comprehensive survey of EU troop numbers in Afghanistan. It is released ahead of the NATO summit in Strasbourg-Kehl on 3-4 April. On his first visit to Europe, President Barack Obama will be looking for new European ideas to accompany the forthcoming growth in American troop numbers in Afghanistan.

EU countries must acknowledge there can be no military solution to end the insurgency and launch a new strategy for Afghanistan, argues Daniel Korski, a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, in "Shaping Europe's Afghan Surge".

Most importantly, the EU and the US should encourage the next Afghan government to negotiate with insurgent leaders willing to lay down arms and integrate the political process. While more troops continue to be needed, Europe's emphasis must be on sending more civilian experts, says Korski, a former adviser to the Afghan government in Kabul. Police, administrative trainers and election observers are a particular priority.

Link to full report: http://ecfr.eu/page/-/documents/ECFR-Policy-Brief-Afghanistan.pdf

Read our press release: http://ecfr.eu/content/entry/korski_afghanistan_surge_release/  

You can download the executive summary of this report in Bulgarian, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish. 

This report represents the views of its author, not the collective view of ECFR

Press clippings

Get our troops out of that uncivilised hellhole, The New Zealand Herald, 8 April 2009

Смирени в амбициите си, Capital, 6 April 2009

Europeans Reluctant to Follow Obama on Afghan Initiative, The Washington Post, 3 April 2009

Ekspert: Fogh er så godt som sicker, Politiken, 2 April 2009

Mohammed cartoon row blights race for new Nato chief, NRC Handelsblad, 2 April 2009

"L'Europe doit envoyer plus de civils en Afghanistan", L'Express, 1 April 2009

Obama's Unlikely Ally: Iran Signs On To Afghan Plan, TIME, 31 March 2009

Obama's star status faces test abroad, The Washington Times, 29 March 2009

NATO Marks Its Anniversary To Welcome France Back To Organization, Voice of America, 29 March 2009

Obama Popular in Europe Despite Policy Differences, Voice of America, 29 March 2009

Imens venter alle på Europas svar, Information, 28 March 2009

¿Un «Mr. Af-Pak» europeo?, ABC, 29 March 2009

EU Weighs Boost in Afghan Aid, Backs Obama Strategy, Bloomberg, 27 March 2009

Obama's exit strategy for Afghanistan, The Independent, 27 March 2009 

NATO and its future: Have combat experience, will travel, The Economist, 26 March 2009

La ofensiva talibán fuerza una escalada de la OTAN, Público, 26 March 2009

Iraq/Afghan War News: Optimism for Afghan strategy, UPI, 25 March 2009

Afghanistan: le rapport qui accable la France, Nouvel Observateur, 25 March 2009

EU countries asked to have "civilian surge" in Afghanistan, Xinhua, 25 March 2009

Op-eds

NATO: Keeping in shape at 60 by Daniel Korski, NATO Review, 4 April 2009

Europe's Afghan Moment by Daniel Korski, Progress, 1 April 2009

Europe needs an Afghan surge, too by  Daniel Korski and Des Browne, European Voice, 1 Apirl 2009

The real Taliban by Daniel Korski, The Guardian, 31 March 2009

"Kabul Diary" by Daniel Korski as part of his ‘Coffee House' Spectator blog

Getting Afghanistan Off Drugs by Daniel Korski, The Guardian, 25 March 2009