By KERRY PATTON
Just last week we learned of the death of one of the most intriguing politicians in U.S. history. Charlie Wilson, the man who fought tirelessly to defeat one of the world’s super powers, Russia, during the 1980s, recently passed away. A former congressman from Texas, he was the man who assisted the Afghan Mujahedeen to topple Russia when Russia attempted to seize control of Afghanistan.
Most individuals would never admit this, but Wilson was a pioneer when it came to insurgency warfare. A movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War,” was made about his unorthodox political schemes and his flamboyant character. He truly provides us today with a means and ability for counter-insurgency solutions. Many individuals will never hold claim that what Mr. Wilson did could ever work in defeating the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, as one who has been to the country on numerous occasions and served in both military and civilian capacities there, I fully disagree.
You see, insurgencies are a “people’s war.” If the United States truly understood this principle we would realize that a conventional military approach is very unlikely to ever defeat an insurgency. World statistics prove this. Needless to say, with proper mentoring, training, and advising along with complete understanding of the people and their needs, counterinsurgency can work. It can only work, however, if we are willing to allow the “people” an opportunity to defeat the opposition. In the case of Afghanistan, the opposition is the anti-Afghan government fighters.
Time has come and gone with numerous modern day approaches to defeating the Taliban and its sister organizations like Hezb Islami Gullbidine. Unfortunately, the increased violence in the region and continued loss of Coalition lives continues. A lesson from Charlie Wilson is needed.
Wilson understood the need for an advisory corps in Afghanistan. We had several intelligence operatives from the Defense Department and CIA throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan alike. We used the Peace Corps as well in an attempt to better understand the people and allow them to understand how different we, the United States, were from a country like Russia. Mentors were used to train local militias and equipment was furnished accordingly. In the end, Russia was defeated and zero American lives were lost.
Today, no excuse exists as to why the United States cannot conduct a similar operation to the one that Charlie Wilson led, and achieve what he accomplished. Just throughout the city of Jalalabad alone, more than 250 ex-mujahedeen war fighters were discovered as sitting back waiting to be contacted by the Americans. These elderly yet seasoned warriors should serve as leaders among local militias. They should mentor, train and mold the new generation of Afghan warriors. Trust and alliance needs to occur between these fighters and an elite unit of Special Operatives that would serve in a similar capacity to those involved in the Military Advisory Corp Vietnam.
Through this kind of combination, speedy recovery of Afghanistan to a peaceful state could occur. Without a doubt, the narcissist politicians and their cronies, politically correct leaders within the military, must understand that everything they tried failed. This solution could be a last effort before the United States troops leave Afghanistan with their heads held low, similar to the failed efforts of the Russians, the British Empire, Alexander The Great and Genghis Khan.
Mr. Wilson was a true patriot. With high hopes, the United States and its leaders will learn to follow the path he blazed in defeating not just a world super power but also irregular warfare oppositions. He will be missed terribly.
Kerry Patton served in the U.S. Defense and Justice departments, and as a contractor within the Homeland Security and State departments. He has worked in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, focusing on intelligence and interviewing current and former terrorists, including members of the Taliban. Patton earned a bachelor’s degree from American Military University in Intelligence Studies, and a master’s degree in strategic intelligence with a concentration in global terrorism. His “Sociocultural Intelligence: The New Discipline of Intelligence Studies,” is due out in June. He teaches at the online Henley Putnam University and lives in Susquehanna County.
