Comments on: Dispatches from FOBistan: The Importance of Local Solutions to Local Problems http://registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/ Central Asia News -- All Central Asia, All The Time Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:41:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lisa http://registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-380535 Lisa Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:43:40 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/#comment-380535 Ian's comment above bites...US military not trustworthy, my butt. Apparently he has no self-respect & isn't a US citizen. There are people & organizations EVERYWHERE that aren't trustworthy, but my son's serving over there & is one of the most trustworthy people I know. Too make an over-arching reference like that shows an incredible exhibition of immaturity & idiocy if he lives here in the states. If he's so ungrateful, he ought to go back to the place of his roots & gripe there. Ian’s comment above bites…US military not trustworthy, my butt. Apparently he has no self-respect & isn’t a US citizen. There are people & organizations EVERYWHERE that aren’t trustworthy, but my son’s serving over there & is one of the most trustworthy people I know. Too make an over-arching reference like that shows an incredible exhibition of immaturity & idiocy if he lives here in the states. If he’s so ungrateful, he ought to go back to the place of his roots & gripe there.

]]> By: Joshua Foust http://registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-379660 Joshua Foust Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:26:13 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/#comment-379660 Tictoc, not really. For one, it's the French's base. Nothing happens without their say. We had to push them to let us hire local workers, since they continued to insist a permanent solution to the problem was "just two weeks away." $60 is beyond the means of most ANA soldiers, who make about $150 a month and support their families. And how many times do you see and hear soldiers bitching about things that need fixing on their base but they don't just rip their shirts off and fix, glistening in the noontime sun like in those world war II movies? Part of it is laziness, of a sort. But another part of it is <i>it's not really their problem to fix</i>. It isn't the ANA's fault that U.S. troops hastily constructed a firebase on a floodplain to support a SOF sweep in 2006, and it's not their fault that, despite their best efforts (there was a big whoop-dee-doo about those HESCOs), they still were unable to control the flooding. To the rest of your questions, there is no standardized method for the ANA to submit base operations requests to the French. They keep to their own compound, and the French keep to theirs -- both inside the base. They rarely, if ever, interact, except at the base bazaar. It is a major problem. But don't accuse the ANA of not taking responsibility. They take on a tremendous amount of responsibility, including being our cannon fodder when our leaders demand it of them (have you ever seen how pathetic a lone Ford Ranger looks when it's followed by a convoy of six MRAPS just to try to put an "Afghan face" on an operation?). The locals are many things, but irresponsible is not one of them... in this specific case. Tictoc, not really. For one, it’s the French’s base. Nothing happens without their say. We had to push them to let us hire local workers, since they continued to insist a permanent solution to the problem was “just two weeks away.” $60 is beyond the means of most ANA soldiers, who make about $150 a month and support their families. And how many times do you see and hear soldiers bitching about things that need fixing on their base but they don’t just rip their shirts off and fix, glistening in the noontime sun like in those world war II movies?

Part of it is laziness, of a sort. But another part of it is it’s not really their problem to fix. It isn’t the ANA’s fault that U.S. troops hastily constructed a firebase on a floodplain to support a SOF sweep in 2006, and it’s not their fault that, despite their best efforts (there was a big whoop-dee-doo about those HESCOs), they still were unable to control the flooding.

To the rest of your questions, there is no standardized method for the ANA to submit base operations requests to the French. They keep to their own compound, and the French keep to theirs — both inside the base. They rarely, if ever, interact, except at the base bazaar. It is a major problem.

But don’t accuse the ANA of not taking responsibility. They take on a tremendous amount of responsibility, including being our cannon fodder when our leaders demand it of them (have you ever seen how pathetic a lone Ford Ranger looks when it’s followed by a convoy of six MRAPS just to try to put an “Afghan face” on an operation?). The locals are many things, but irresponsible is not one of them… in this specific case.

]]> By: tictoc http://registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-379656 tictoc Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:04:07 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/#comment-379656 It would be more helpful and enlightening to understand why the ANA didn't do more to solve the flooding problem. They made a tentative attempt (punching holes), but then gave up even though it continued to be a problem. Was it because the French took over responsibility for fixing the problem? Does the ANA feel that they can propose solutions to NATO troops? From your report, there seems to be a complete lack of communication between these two groups (or that's its unidirectional: foreigners speak, locals follow orders). Why is that? What you've written doesn't give me the warm fuzzies. It makes me think we'll never get out of Afghanistan. The locals aren't taking responsibility for solving their own problems, and foreigners are encouraging them not to take responsibility. As you've pointed out, foreign-imposed solutions end up being expensive and counterproductive. It would be more helpful and enlightening to understand why the ANA didn’t do more to solve the flooding problem. They made a tentative attempt (punching holes), but then gave up even though it continued to be a problem. Was it because the French took over responsibility for fixing the problem? Does the ANA feel that they can propose solutions to NATO troops? From your report, there seems to be a complete lack of communication between these two groups (or that’s its unidirectional: foreigners speak, locals follow orders). Why is that?

What you’ve written doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies. It makes me think we’ll never get out of Afghanistan. The locals aren’t taking responsibility for solving their own problems, and foreigners are encouraging them not to take responsibility. As you’ve pointed out, foreign-imposed solutions end up being expensive and counterproductive.

]]> By: David M http://registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-379646 David M Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:38:23 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/#comment-379646 The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post <a href="http://thunderrun.blogspot.com/2009/02/from-front-02272009.html" rel="nofollow">From the Front: 02/27/2009 </a> News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 02/27/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

]]> By: Ian http://registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-379645 Ian Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:41:37 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/#comment-379645 Great story. Even if the American military isn't, there are very trustworthy organizations doing micro-investment projects that are not temp work but aim to be sustainable. <a href="www.kiva.org" rel="nofollow">Kiva.org</a> is one that has had amazing success in Central Asia. Ordinary people can lend small amounts of money to individual entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and it's not "charity" since the vast majority of entrepreneurs pay back the micro-loan. However Kiva isn't able to keep up with the huge amount of interest in investing because they can't find enough smart people to quit their jobs and go to Afghanistan to work as reps to distribute the investments. Great story.

Even if the American military isn’t, there are very trustworthy organizations doing micro-investment projects that are not temp work but aim to be sustainable. Kiva.org is one that has had amazing success in Central Asia. Ordinary people can lend small amounts of money to individual entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and it’s not “charity” since the vast majority of entrepreneurs pay back the micro-loan. However Kiva isn’t able to keep up with the huge amount of interest in investing because they can’t find enough smart people to quit their jobs and go to Afghanistan to work as reps to distribute the investments.

]]> By: Travis http://registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-379644 Travis Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:21:04 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/#comment-379644 This is a really great post. These small projects won't solve all of our problems in Afghanistan, but they'll go a long way towards building rapport with the locals, as well as improving their situation. This is a really great post. These small projects won’t solve all of our problems in Afghanistan, but they’ll go a long way towards building rapport with the locals, as well as improving their situation.

]]> By: Aatom http://registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-379643 Aatom Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:01:04 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/02/26/dispatches-from-fobistan-the-importance-of-local-solutions-to-local-problems/#comment-379643 Nice microcosm you paint here! Keep up the good, creative work. Nice microcosm you paint here! Keep up the good, creative work.

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