EU countries asked to have "civilian surge" in Afghanistan

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2009-03-26 07:30

European Union (EU) countries have been asked to commit additional civilian resources to Afghanistan to match U.S. plans to send in 17,000 additional troops, said a policy report of a European think tank on Wednesday.

"If EU governments are serious about Afghanistan, they should complement the coming U.S. military push with a civilian surge of their own. They must ensure the elections are secure, train the army and the police, and reach out to the Taliban," said Daniel Korski of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

EU countries must acknowledge there can be no military solution to the insurgency, he argued.

The EU and the United States should encourage the next Afghan government to negotiate with those insurgent leaders, who are willing to lay down arms and integrate them into the political process, said Korski, a former adviser to the Afghan government in Kabul.

Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, a founding member of the ECFR, asked for a new strategy in Afghanistan.

"The EU and NATO need a new strategy in Afghanistan. To move toward stability and peace in Afghanistan, the next Afghan government must be encouraged to negotiate with all those insurgent leaders who are open to reconciliation. NATO must do better to avoid casualties amongst Afghan civilians, the EU should send more non-military assistance. Too many EU member states are failing their commitment to make rebuilding Afghanistan a priority," he said in the policy report.


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