Operation Moshtaraq
Lindy Cameron, Head of the PRT, Shares her Views on Operation Moshtarak
Lindy Cameron, Head of the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team, spoke with Sky news and the BBC World Service (14 & 15 Feb) on the challenges facing the stabilisation efforts alongside and after Operation Moshtarak. Below is a summary of the highlights and key points that Lindy put across in both interviews.
1. On the possibility of the Taliban returning after the offensive ends and is the new political structure designed to keep them out.
Lindy’s response: ‘I think the operation has really been planned with the whole aim of putting the Afghan Government back in control in Nad Ali. It’s also had a totally different level of support from the Afghan National Government than we’ve seen before. Minister Pappal was down visiting last week with forty officials and Junior Ministers to make sure the line Ministries had got all the support they need.’
2. Lets say the operation is a success and the Taliban have disappeared. What next?
Lindy’s response: ‘The first thing we’ll do is basically support the Government to repair any damage that’s been caused in the conflict. Obviously the Taliban have heavily mined some of these areas. We’ll help assess the state of the existing infrastructure and prioritise things to rebuild or reconstruct. The key issue actually is to make sure that the Government is out there talking to people in the district about the next steps moving forward.’
3. A key issue is going to be the quality of the new Government. In the past there have been so many complaints about ineffective government and corrupt government, which is why the Taliban have sometimes been welcomed back. Will it be different now?
Lindy’s response: ‘This is a key issue for Afghans and it came up in a shura before the Operation began but I have great confidence in the Provincial Government. Governor Mangal done a fantastic job and with the additional level of support from the National Government they will be able to recruit additional staff. For example there is a team of about sixty staff going in to Nad Ali district including generalists and technical specialists that I think will give a different kind of support to that we’ve seen before. There is also a comprehensive plan which the Governor will be launching later this week; it’s been really well thought through to deliver the kind of quality for future governments to abide to.’
4. After the operation will local people say ‘It’s better than it was when the Taliban were here’, or will they say ‘Those Taliban, they weren’t so bad after all’
Lindy’s response: ‘I have confidence they will say it’s better than it was before’ she adds ‘If you look at Northern Nad Ali where when Coalition Forces have held the district centre for more than a year now, people say there is a distinct difference. There is a Government building where the Governor resides. There is a Police Station under construction and there is a bazaar that’s been reopened. And there is a real sense of community and the Government is beginning to realise how to compete with the Taliban in key services such as justice. This is a key area the PRT is giving support to.’
5. Are you convinced that what we are doing will actually improve the lives of the Afghan people? Could a vacuum return to this region after the work is done?
Lindy’s response: ‘I think certainly there are some really challenging times to come, this is not something that will be achieved overnight. But if you look at part of Nad Ali district that we’ve held for more than a year now, you see the differences that can be made in that space of time. So, for example, if I compare the centre of Nad Ali, that’s the kind of thing that can be achieved in the course of a year. But the point is the Afghan government is also aspiring to make this a far more effective operation than they’ve ever done before. I’ve never seen this level of engagement from national government.’
6. There may well be national and provincial support for this, but do the Afghan population support it as many Afghans don’t regard this government and the provincial authorities as legitimate.
Lindy’s response: ‘The answer to that question is that we asked the Minister of Interior who asked the shuras of Marjah elders and Nad Ali elders whether they wanted the operation or not. They made it extremely clear that not only did they want the operation, they wanted it to start as soon as possible. So I think you can be confident that there is real support amongst people in the area for this operation.
