McKiernan: ‘Glass Half Full’ in Afghanistan
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James Joyner | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 |
ISAF Commander GEN David McKiernan at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC
During his address this evening to the Atlantic Council, ISAF commander General David McKiernan emphasized the many positive trends in Afghanistan, noting that he preferred a “Glass Half Full” view.
At the same time, he emphasized that Afghanistan is in the middle of a war — not a peacekeeping, stability, or human assistance operation. Afghanistan is not Iraq and faces a myriad of complex challenges, including a near total lack of human capital, a population that has mostly faced a lifetime of violence, and a tribal relationship almost impenetrable to outsiders.
In a New Atanticist essay, I build from some of Dave Schuler’s work here at OTB and ask “Is it Too Late for Afghanistan?“
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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