Paper
Gilles Dorronsoro
{
"authors": [
"Gilles Dorronsoro"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie Europe"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "SAP",
"programs": [
"South Asia"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"South Asia",
"Afghanistan",
"Asia"
],
"topics": [
"Security",
"Military",
"Foreign Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
The Effect on Public Opinion
The disclosure of thousands of classified military documents reveals a darker picture of the war in Afghanistan that is likely to increase public opposition to the war.
Published on Jul 26, 2010
Source: The New York Times
Still, the general public now has a better understanding of the day-to-day conflict that is playing out across Afghanistan. What’s clear is that the level of improvisation and — to be frank — disorganization is striking. U.S. troops have never been completely comfortable with this war, and the learning curve has not been as impressive as hoped.
The debate in Washington has focused on counterinsurgency and the big picture, but these documents show that complex policies are not going to work because no one knows how to implement them on the ground. It’s also clear that the Taliban are much more aggressive and well organized than the coalition was prepared to recognize.
The incidents detailed in the documents could put further pressure on the coalition. Accusations of war crimes are possible. And public opinion in the United States and Europe will be more opposed to the war. The leak reveals what war is — a confused and dirty exercise where goals can be quickly lost in the confusion of an actual fight.
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.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Taking the Pulse: Is the EU Ready for Rapprochement With the UK?Commentary
Closer EU-UK ties could help address urgent European concerns. But is the EU ready for rapprochement with the United Kingdom?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
- Duterte’s Populist Foreign Policy as Illiberal Defiance: Consequences and ProspectsPaper
In the Philippines, Duterte-era discourse emphasizing sovereignty, anti-Western skepticism, and strongman diplomacy mirrors tenets of populist foreign policy around the world.
Aries A. Arugay
- France, Italy, and Spain Should Use Force in LebanonCommentary
Europe has been standing by while its Southern neighborhood is being redrawn by force. To establish a path to peace between Israel and Lebanon, it’s time for Europeans to get involved with hard power.
Rym Momtaz
- Is Opposition to Online Restrictions an Inflection Point for the Russian Regime?Commentary
After four years of war, there is no one who can stand up to the security establishment, and President Vladimir Putin is increasingly passive.
Tatiana Stanovaya
- The New Revolution in Military AffairsArticle
How Ukraine is driving doctrinal change in modern warfare.
Andriy Zagorodnyuk
