Counter-Insurgency Common Sense: Developing Governance at the tactical level

In general, we’re talking about enabling the participation of citizens to form the connective tissues with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), and assisting GIRoA at all levels to provide security, services, and effective rule of law for its population.  In short, when a government provides those things while individuals and communities actively participate in decisions that affect their lives and futures, we have governance.  This is a two way street, and there are many actions we take tactically to enable governance, and they are all focused on the population.  Let’s talk about three: security, community involvement, and information.

The population in some areas remains on the fence due to insurgent intimidation.  To paraphrase the early 20th century counter-insurgency expert Frank Kitson, until the population is convinced that they that will be protected forever, openly participating in and supporting their government will be fraught with risk.  Because the insurgents are willing to kill innocent civilians and threaten entire communities if they support GIRoA initiatives that better their future, security for the population is absolutely necessary for governance to take hold – and the population must be convinced that they will not be deserted. 

The first responsibility of any government is to provide security for its citizens, and as we accompany and partner with Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), they are the first face and most consistent presence of the government in most communities.  From a counter-insurgency perspective, we, along with our ANSF partners, must protect the population and connect with them at the neighborhood and community levels. This does not mean rolling through a village in MRAP-All Terrain Vehicles (MATVs) and Cougars without stopping, looking like Borgs behind our Oakley sunglasses; it means conducting dismounted patrols on a regular basis through key population areas whenever possible.  It means getting to know the population and developing a detailed understanding of their grievances, which we can address along with our ANSF and GIRoA partners.  Connecting with the population means being human, respecting and understanding the community’s needs, wants, and fears, and as any good neighbor would do, lending a hand when appropriate and possible.  Protecting the population – our neighbors – is a critical requirement that enables them the space and time for other aspects of governance to develop deep roots.

This space and time allows communities to safely take an active and participatory role in their society and future.  Community involvement and participation, the second aspect of governance to discuss, is something that societies do both formally (e.g. Community Development Councils, District Development Assemblies) and informally (e.g. Agriculture shuras).  These benefit the community writ large, and because of that individuals reap the rewards as well.  Community based organizations connect the population to the government through prioritizing needs for governmental consideration, and connect the government to the population through the allocation of available resources to meet those needs.

At the tactical level, there are many assets at our disposal to facilitate community participation.  They range from helping coordinate and secure (if necessary) a location for shuras, to observing shuras in order to get a clearer understanding of community issues.  Until we understand the concerns of the community, we cannot help address them.  This should always be done with our Afghan partners. 

An example of this community involvement is the agriculture shuras in Paktika Province, an area economically dependent upon crops and farming.  Coordinated by and within multiple districts and communities with the assistance of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), the shuras are designed to identify agricultural priorities at the local level and maximize agriculture techniques in order to increase the crop yield.  They include training coordinated with the PRT and conducted by Afghan agriculture advisors.  Afghan National Police transport the advisors to various locations throughout the Province in order for them to share and train communities on agriculture techniques (an excellent example of partnering), and they mentor during the shuras on the procedures necessary to become officially registered with the Provincial Government.  This is but one example of governance – community participation, ISAF supported, and Afghan led – that connects the population to the government and the government to the population.

Lastly, information as a facilitator of governance.  Culturally, our hosts live in a society that possesses a rich oral tradition that sings with metaphors and similes, myths and stories.  We come from a society of books and classes, briefings and crib-notes.  Our informational prisms are different, and it is our responsibility to bridge the informational gap and ensure the population has the opportunity to rapidly receive the honest and truthful narrative of GIRoA and ISAF, not the distortions our collective enemy disseminates.  In all manners, information is power, and in terms of governance, information is a critical linkage between the legitimate government and the population. Unfortunately, separating truthful information from insurgent propaganda can be a very difficult thing for a population that is receiving two separate and competing inputs.  To bridge this gap, GIRoA and we must consistently and accurately portray situations as they are through trusted brokers in a manner that will resonate with the population.  From a COIN perspective at the tactical level, always tell the truth and listen to what the population perceives as the truth. This includes understanding the ‘narrative of the other’, their perspective on what is happening in their society, with their government, with both broad initiatives and specific incidents.  Only with that understanding can we bridge the informational gap through coherent and synchronized Information Operations.

The best conveyors of our legitimate message are our Afghan partners and the key communicators in the communities, both traditional and governmental.  Linking the two – Afghan partners and community leaders - not only reinforces governance and governmental legitimacy, but also provides a dialogue between the community and their government.  The most frequent contact the population has with GIRoA is through their exposure to ANSF, our daily tactical partners.  As such, ANSF must be included in our collective efforts to consistently and regularly receive and pass information in order to strengthen the bond between communities and government.

So, as partnered forces we have the capability to facilitate governance at the tactical level in a COIN environment.  While not an all inclusive list, connect with the population by providing security to develop space; interact with the populace to generate and facilitate community involvement; and use information operations as a force multiplier to link the population with the government.  Do that, and we help build “that governance thing.”