Brief - Senior member talking points

Senior Member Talking Points:
Explaining Afghanistan War to a Civilian Audience
21 OCT 2009

Purpose

In response to the limited public knowledge of the current war in Afghanistan, it is imperative that every single member of the Army team – soldier, civilian, family – understand the importance of engaging and communicating with the general public about the war overseas. With the increased military focus and presence in Afghanistan and the shift from Iraq to the current battle the general population is left uncertain of current involvement, or worse yet, unaware that the military involvement is even happening. One of the best ways to educate the community about military matters and remain visible to the country we serve is to engage them in discussion about the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan and what this involvement means to our country.


Background/Discussion

President Obama has shifted resources and troops from an increasingly stable Iraq to an increasingly volatile Afghanistan. Afghanistan has taken a backseat to the Iraq War in terms of resources ever since the US deployed there shortly after 9/11. Osama bin Laden was linked to the attacks and the Taliban failed to deliver him. This action resulted in the US and coalition forces bombing Afghanistan. Although Afghan leaders formed a post-Taliban government, al Qaeda is supporting a resurgent Taliban that is behind the shadow government in Afghanistan. The way the US is fighting and the reasons the US are fighting have evolved over the last eight years. The initially reason for putting US troops into Afghanistan was to banish al Qaeda from Communication Plan: Explaining US Involvement in Afghanistan War to Civilians the country, but now the focus has shifted to keeping Pakistan from becoming a haven for terrorists who could potentially gain access to nuclear weapons.


Primary Audience

The primary audience for the briefing will be the local communities in and around Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, but there is a definite possibility that the senior leaders who will be delivering the brief might present the information in other states as need necessitates. The primary audience is non-military civilian, and there will be several groups and sub-groups that will comprise this large audience. The senior leader needs to be able to communicate information in a manner that will enable all members of the audience to leave the presentation feeling more informed about the current state of affairs in Afghanistan. The presenter must be able to convey the information to a varied audience -from the high school student to the retired business owner- in a manner that is informative without being condescending or redundant to more senior members of the audience. This is not an easy task, but it is certainly obtainable.


Public Opinion Hurdles

US public opinion is overwhelmingly negative in regards to the Afghanistan War. People do not know why we are there or how or if we plan to leave, or they do not even know that there is a full-fledged war occurring in Afghanistan. Many Americans believe that since the Global War on Terror has been renamed the Overseas Contingency Operation that we are no longer in a war because there is no longer any real danger to the US. This cannot be further from the truth, and it is the senior leader’s responsibility to effectively communicate how very real and very dangerous the threat of losing Afghanistan is to the US. People want to know how we got there, what we are doing there, what we hope to achieve there, and how long we plan on staying there.


Desired Effects of Communication Campaign

Non-military civilians will have a much better understanding of basic concepts and terms associated with the war in Afghanistan. Words like “national security” and “insurgent” are tossed around in the media but very few Americans have any real sense of what these terms actually mean. The concepts will be defined within the presentation in a manner that will educate those who are unaware of the true definitions and not offend the members of the audience who are familiar with the concepts who might perceive any definitions provided as an over-simplification.

The military goals in Afghanistan should be explained as well has how the military and the current administration plans on executing these goals. The nature of warfare in the Middle East should be communicated so the audience understands that the war being fought now is completely unlike the wars of the 20th century. The conflict will be won by persuading the population, not by destroying the enemy. This is unchartered territory and the rules of combat have changed. We will not win by simply killing insurgents and we must change the way we think, act, and operate in the field and in our personal lives. It is imperative that the audience leaves the presentation feeling more informed about the unique relationship between the US and the Afghan people.


Recommended Talking Points

Regardless of the direction the presentation might take, it would be helpful to the audience to at least touch on each of these talking points:

• Background history of Afghanistan
• Why we are in Afghanistan
• How we got to Afghanistan
• What we plan to achieve in Afghanistan
• How long we plan on staying in Afghanistan
• The nature of the conflict in Afghanistan
• How and why this war is being fought differently than conventional 20th century wars
• Price of staying in Afghanistan
• Price of leaving Afghanistan
• Defining Terms and Concepts

The following terms and concepts should be defined so the audience can better understand the message and content of the presentation:

al Qaeda - Al Qaeda is an international terrorist organization. The network wants to rid Muslim countries of what is seen as the profane influence of the West and replace their governments with fundamentalist Islamic regimes.

Insurgent - Insurgents are part of an armed and organized rebellion that opposes the active civil authority or government. Insurgents operate in the following ways:

• Insurgents displace the government’s legitimacy
• They adapt to local conditions
• They influence the populations through intimidation and attraction
• Propaganda claims to protect Afghan culture and religion
• Incite social strife
• Undermine social structures

Jihad - Jihad is a holy war waged by Muslims.

Mujahedin - The term applied to any Muslims who join in a military Jihad.

Muslim - A Muslim is a follower of the religion of Islam.

Shadow government - A shadow government is a government-in-waiting with the intent to assume control of the government in response to an event. The Taliban’s shadow government in Afghanistan is very large and very organized and they have their own police, courts and rule of law. The Afghan people are skeptical and unwilling to commit active support to either side (actual government or shadow government) until they can be convinced of a winning proposition. The Taliban shadow government is a fighting force in Afghanistan and a major threat to its government.

Taliban - The Taliban is part of an Islamic fundamentalist movement that controlled Kabul in 1996. The Taliban gave refuge to the al-Qaeda terrorist network, and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, against the United States, U.S. military forces invaded Afghanistan and ousted the Taliban from power in late 2001. Afghanistan adopted a new constitution establishing a presidential form of government in 2004. The Taliban said their aim was to set up the world's most pure Islamic state, banning frivolities like television, music and cinema. Their attempts to eradicate crime were reinforced by the introduction of Islamic law including public executions and amputations.


Terrorism - Terrorism is the use of force or violence against people or property to create fear and to get publicity for political causes. Terrorists are criminals and when they are caught they are put on trial. Acts of terrorism include: threats of violence, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, bomb scares and bombings, and the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Targets for terrorism include government buildings, large airports, big cities and national landmarks. Terrorists might also target large public gatherings, water and food supplies, and utilities such as electric plants.


Potential Questions from the Audience

1. Why are we in Afghanistan?
2. What is the military objective in Afghanistan?
3. What is the difference between the Taliban and al Qaeda?
4. How has the Taliban and al Qaeda evolved since 9/11?
5. Why do we have to win the will of the Afghan people?
6. How are we supposed to win the will of the Afghan people?
7. What is the difference between Muslims and Arabs?
8. How popular are the Taliban in Afghanistan?
9. Is this still the central front on the war on terror?
10. What does 9/11 have to do with Afghanistan?


Potential Answers for Audience Questions

1. Why are we in Afghanistan?
If NATO and the US leave Afghanistan the Taliban will gain control of the region. The Taliban are a threat to our national security. They proved that before 9/11 by harboring Osama Bin Laden. Their actions in Pakistan also confirm their intention to spread their dominance over that country as well.

2. What is the military objective in Afghanistan?
President Obama has stated that the primary objective is to reverse the Taliban's gains and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government.

3. What are the differences between the Taliban and al Qaeda?
The terrorist networks are separate entities that share a similar ideology. The Taliban did not carry out the attacks on the US on 9/11. It was al Qaeda that planned and carried out the attacks. Al Qaeda is mostly composed of Arabs and Islamic militants from countries other than Afghanistan. Al Qaeda has a global agenda that goes beyond any specific country and is a globalized anti-imperialist movement with Islam as its ideology. The Taliban is mostly comprised of Afghans who grew up in refugee camps or boarding schools in Pakistan during the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s agenda is more local and al Qaeda’s agenda is more global.

4. How has al Qaeda evolved since 9/11?
Al Qaeda is now more of a name that is attached to ideology than a specific group. Al Qaeda is much more centralized and organized now and are based primarily Pakistan instead of Afghanistan.

5. Why do we have to win the will of the Afghan people?
It is not possible to win the war in Afghanistan without the support of its people.

6. How are we supposed to win the will of the Afghan people?
We must show through word and deed that we have the capability and commitment to protect and support the people. We can accomplish this goal using a variety of different methods:

• Help change the local context
• Encourage people to become more interested in building and protecting their communities than destroying them
• Leverage economic initiatives and routine jirgas with community leaders
• Isolate the insurgents from the communities so they are no longer welcome

7. What is the difference between Muslims and Arabs?
There are many differences between Arab and Muslim groups. Those who are Muslim are not necessarily Arabs, and not all Arabs are Muslim. A Muslim is a person whose religion is Islam, while the term Arab refers to ethnicity.

8. How popular are the Taliban in Afghanistan?
The Taliban are not popular at all amongst the Afghan people. The Afghan people have never been sympathetic to the ideology of the Taliban. That’s why the Taliban fell from power so quickly after the international community moved in. The problem is that the people have not seen the reallocation of spending from military purposes to peacetime purposes, such as housing, education, and social projects. Reconstruction—especially in some of the deprived provinces where we are facing security challenges—has hardly taken place. In some of the provinces, nothing has actually taken place. Gradually, people are becoming disillusioned or disinterested in the process of democracy and that’s exactly what the terrorists would like to see.


9. Is this still the central front on the war on terror?
Yes. President Obama has called Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan the "central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism."

10. What does 9/11 have to do with Afghanistan?
Thanks to the ruling Taliban, Afghanistan had become a base for terrorists, namely Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda training camps. Because Afghanistan was such a chaotic place and because the Taliban were deeply influenced by bin Laden’s philosophy, the Taliban welcomed him and his network into the country. There they could plan their attacks with less fear of reprisal because other countries were wary of entering Afghanistan.