The purpose of this essay is to analyze several sources that will be used to provide information for a discussion on the Haqqani Network. The sources selected will either support or oppose the thesis statement that the United States should increase the presence of troops and strengthen the coalition with the local governments in North Waziristan to mitigate the threat that the Haqqani Network presents to the country. Overall, the sources will support the idea that the local communities are critical for any positive engagement and mitigation of the stated terror group. This suggestion is given against the backdrop of the numerous unsuccessful attempts by the US government intelligence agency to counter the Network’s attacks. Arguably, these attempts have been unsuccessful due to an insufficient number of troops on the ground.
The source provides details on the key statistics of the Haqqani Network. It was selected because it highlights critical numerical data that will also be used in the report. One of the factors that make the Haqqani Network dangerous is the number of recruits it has achieved to attracted. The group has a hierarchical structure with the son of the founder currently leading the organization after his father’s retirement due to old age. The source also provides significant information on the structure, leadership, strategy, and interactions of the group. Further, a detailed map of the organization’s activities is presented. It allows for one to analyze and shape discussions on the communities that have been attacked, and to some extent, also encourages predictions for future attacks. Additionally, the authors provide a list of the Network’s terror activities. This has been divided into the first, largest, and most notable terror events. The stated information is important in determining whether the troops that were on the ground in the different areas were enough to have prevented the attacks.
Similar to the first analyzed source, this one gives a detailed background on the Haqqani Network. However, the author also provides methods, tactics, and a timeline of the organization’s work. It can be argued that a limited number of US troops in different regions can be tied to the methods and tactics selected by the terror group. For example, assassination as a terror tactic is significantly common in Afghanistan. It has also been used extensively by the Haqqani Network. Debatably, the fact that few soldiers can, first, track where assassinations are expected to happen and two, capture members of the Network before the assassinations increases the chances of the vice happening. The source also provides critical information on terror groups and attacks in other countries. This information will be used for comparison purposes.
Tan argues that the nature of terrorism is changing. The changes are often due to the newer ways of dealing with terror that ally countries such as the US have employed. Further, these changes have also been encouraged due to technological advancements. For instance, terror is not just about public assassinations but also cyber terror. The source has been selected because it offers some of the alternatives that counter-terrorism agencies have employed to deal with groups such as the Haqqani Network. In addition, the author analyzes the impact of local authorities and communities in aiding such stated agencies in counter-terrorism activities. It provides a different overview of how the US can also incorporate working with locals to achieve their goals.
Interestingly, Felbab-Brown (2017) confirms that Donald Trump was keen on increasing American troops in Afghanistan as a strategy to counter-terrorism. However, Felbab-Brown is categorical in noting that this is the only consideration that the former president suggested that was based on the law as all other policies made the situation worse. The source has been selected because it offers a clear example of how political ideology can affect the decisions made regarding counter terrorism. The author explains that even with a significant amount of troops on the ground, other policies that enhance Afghanistan’s governance have to be considered for the suggested tactic to work. This challenges the thesis of the project as it (thesis statement) does not factor in any correlation between other forms of Afghanistan’s governance with an increase in American troops.
The source selected analyzes the peace deal between the US and the Taliban. It is important to point out that the Haqqani Network is part of the Taliban. However, it has an independent structure. The peace deal is critical for the discussion because it encouraged the US to reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan. To be precise, the deal sought to remove 5400 soldiers from the region. Verma (2021) notes that NATO, which was also included in the negotiations, promised to remove all its troops from the region by 2021. In return, the Taliban (as a culmination of all smaller groups such as the Haqqani Network) agreed to start a dialogue and peaceful negotiations to stop terrorism. This deal also encouraged the release of prisoners from both sides. One of the reasons this source was selected is that it offers a different perspective on some of the solutions that have already been tried.
This source also focuses on the Taliban as a whole, not just the Haqqani Network. However, as explained, the Network is part of the larger Taliban organization. Critically, the author discusses a key element of understanding the foreign policy of the US – politics. Fatah (2017) argues that national interests are the number one motivator of any type of foreign policy. These interests are often swayed by the political party in leadership. Therefore, one can argue that the current Democratic leadership can seek to change some of the policies that were passed by the previous Republican leadership. Interestingly, the author blames these political interferences for the creation and growth of the Taliban. The debate on how the cold war led to the rise of such groups is also discussed. Arguably, the author offers limited information in regards to whether the US should add or remove troops in the region. However, the different line of thought allows for a rich discussion on whether the increase of troops can be seen as a disruption of the communities within the region, therefore, increasing the desire by the Haqqani Network to terrorize.
Unlike the other sources that have been presented, this one looks at Pakistan’s foreign policy. The source was selected because it offers a different perspective – from the country that hosts the Taliban. It is critical to note that there has to be political goodwill for the US troops to be effective in any country where they are deployed. This goodwill is rooted in the host country’s foreign policy. The debate on an increase in troops in Afghanistan in an attempt to enhance the US counter-terrorism efforts is, thus, heavily linked to Afghanistan’s foreign policy and the community’s need to be supported by a foreign nation.
The authors debate that there are various reasons why counter-terrorism efforts by both the Afghani government and other authorities (such as the US counter-terrorism agencies) have failed to curb the menace that is an insurgency. One such reason is the support that is given by neighboring countries, which offer the terrorists safe harbor. Indeed, one can argue that an increase in troops in the region will also protect borders so that insurgent sympathizers are also monitored. Critically, more troops in Afghanistan will also affect the country’s neighbors. Political goodwill is critical in ensuring that these neighbors do not hinder any progress that can be achieved through an increase in troops.
This source looks into how the narrative of “host” countries can be manipulated to show that they are propagators of terror. In this particular case, the author has focused on Pakistan but with a worldwide overview of similar nations that are dealing with terrorism. Afzal (2018) argues that even though the media has portrayed Pakistan as a country of radicalized individuals, the true nature of the communities is peaceful. The publication offers a discourse on how the Islam religion should be detached from terrorism. Arguably, one can state that the terror groups use Islam as the basis of their actions. This source gives a different view on how such narratives (tying Islam and terrorism) have also been supported by foreign nations and how this has harmed the development of these nations.
This publication was selected because it offers a holistic view of terrorism in the Asia-Pacific region. One can argue that to come up with ideal suggestions for improving counter-terrorism efforts, one also has to understand the operational aspect of terrorism in the same region. The authors look into the evolution of threat and how this has been used by counter-terrorism to develop strategies. Further, the book presents a discussion on the impact of modern technology on terrorism. One of the reasons this source was selected for review is the fact that it offers an in-depth review of how different internal and external factors have contributed to the development and growth of terror activities within the region.
Prudent to note, Kilcullen was a former soldier who had been deployed in numerous terrorist zones. The author gives an inward view of how America has to protect itself from terrorist groups. One of the elements that come out strongly in the publication is the ever-changing nature of terrorism. One can argue that initially, terrorism was regional, and these insurgents would act within a region. Today, the recruitment of terrorists happens in countries such as the US, where citizens are manipulated to view their government as the one at fault. This landscape has created adversaries to terrorism and allies to the US. To manage the situation, the US has to ensure that it increases the number of troops on the ground.
This book also relates the cold war to the current war on terror. The scholar explains that the results of the cold war led to a paradigm shift that various nations took advantage of, including the US. The sovereignty of other nations should be engrained in their democratic process. However, the US, which is the world’s superpower based on the results of the cold war, puts sanctions on nations that do not adhere to the US’s school of thought. One can argue that it is this premise that has contributed to the rise of insurgent groups. The increase of US troops feeds into this narrative but also shows why it is prudent for the US to commit more soldiers to the fight against terrorism.
References
Afzal, M. (2018). Pakistan under siege: Extremism, society, and the state. Brookings Institution Press.
Ayaz, A. (2017). Foreign policy imperatives for Pakistan. Defence Journal, 21(3), 69-70.
Fatah, M. (2017). The Taliban conundrum. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 22, 21-26.
Felbab-Brown, V. (2017). President Trump’s Afghanistan policy: Hopes and pitfalls. Brookings
Gunaratna, R., & Kam, S. Y. (2016). Handbook of terrorism in the Asia-Pacific. World Scientific. Haqqani network. (n.d.). Web.
Kilcullen, D. (2020). The dragons and the snakes: How the rest learned to fight the west. Oxford University Press
Maghercă, T. & Bălăceanu, I. (2019). Current considerations about insurgency and counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. National Defence University Publishing House.
Mitchell, A. L. (2016). The democracy promotion paradox. Brookings Institution Press. National Counterterrorism Center. (n.d.). Haqqani network. Web.
Tan, H. T. A. (2018). Evaluating counter-terrorism strategies in Asia. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 13(2), 155-169.
Verma, R. (2021). The US-Taliban peace deal and India’s strategic options. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 75(1), 10-14.