Afghanis celebrate their independence from Soviet occupation on April 28th. The Afghan National Army commemorates the day with a military parade, attended by President Karzai and a who’s who of Afghan and foreign dignitaries. The parade is a throw back to Communist era spectacles, designed as a show of strength for potential adversaries. Based on the amount of time dedicated to parade rehearsals, the Afghans believe there is much political capital to be gained by flawless marching. With an ongoing insurgency, I wonder if “the parade juice was worth the squeeze.” Clearly, I have much to learn about Afghan politics. Nevertheless, the cadets looked great at the parade.

While the Afghan Corps of Cadets marched, a small group of Afghan cadets represented their country in a military stakes competition at West Point. The annual “Sandhurst” competition matches cadets from West Point against cadets from Canada, Britain, Annapolis, ROTC, and now Afghanistan. There were many firsts for the Afghans: first time out of Afghanistan, on an airplane, in a Western nation, etc. What mattered was not how they placed in the competition. What mattered were the impressions and connections these future Afghan senior leaders made with the United States. What will they tell their fellow cadets when they return to Kabul? What kind of seed will be planted in their young minds? How will their definition of excellence change? By the way, the Royal Military College Canadians won for the third year in a row.

I had the privilege of representing the Academy at “The Second Joint American University of Afghanistan and Ministry of Higher Education Conference: Toward a Better University System” in Kabul. My colleagues at American University are making a concerted effort to introduce progressive ideas to the leaders of Afghan higher education. Fortunately, all university presidents are open minded and willing to innovate in order to improve their resource-strapped institutions. Unfortunately, some within the Ministry of Higher Education appear wedded to the centralized procedures of the past, and are not immune from corruption. If the “reform” faction within the Ministry succeeds in exerting its influence, the Afghan university system can become an instrument of change in this society. If the reformers fail, tens of thousands of Afghan men and women will be victims of a preventable train wreck.

The recent votes on Iraq by the House and Senate have been the topic of some discussion among soldiers in Afghanistan – some, but not much. Those of us in Kabul understand the differences between the two theaters of operation and are not prone to making broad generalizations about interconnectedness. However, the prospect of a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq begs the question, “Where will transnational terrorists focus their efforts next?” In hindsight, many politicians, journalists, military retirees, and private citizens have noted the lack of debate and critical thinking prior to the Iraq invasion about the reconstruction phase. I would like to hear more in the national debate about the potential consequences of withdrawing from Iraq on a timetable. My efforts of the last 11 months in Afghanistan depend on it.

Paul

Paul C. Krajeski, Ph.D.
Lieutenant Colonel, US Army
Chief, National Military Academy Afghanistan (NMAA) Implementation Team
Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan