Paper
Gilles Dorronsoro
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"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Is President Obama's Afghanistan Strategy Working?
The surge in Afghanistan is not working. The counterinsurgency strategy attempted in Marja did not succeed, and the offensive in Kandahar is likely to fail as well.
Published on May 9, 2010
Source: The Washington Post
The consequence is that at least a few thousand U.S. troops will stay in this marginal district to contain the Taliban when they are needed to resist the coming Taliban offensive in the north and east.
The imminent U.S. offensive in Kandahar will also fail, because the coalition cannot reform the local government. Ahmad Wali Karzai, half-brother of President Hamid Karzai, remains the local strongman, and the United States will not remove him, meaning it has no reliable partner to work with in Kandahar. Taliban forces have infiltrated that city in great numbers and are already targeting Afghans who work with the government or the Americans.
About the Author
Gilles Dorronsoro
Former Nonresident Scholar, South Asia Program
Dorronsoro’s research focuses on security and political development in Afghanistan. He was a professor of political science at the Sorbonne in Paris and the Institute of Political Studies of Rennes.
- Waiting for the Taliban in Afghanistan
- Afghanistan: The Impossible TransitionPaper
Gilles Dorronsoro
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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