Today's date: Winter 2010  To Become an Occupying Power Is a
Strategic Defeat  Zbigniew Brzezinski is one of America’s most
prominent elder statesmen. He was national security adviser to
US President Jimmy Carter when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan.
His comments here are adapted from an interview with NPQ.
Washington—The growing risk that we face in Afghanistan and
Pakistan is that the Taliban—still supported only by a
minority—is beginning to be viewed as a resistance movement
against a foreign and especially “infidel” occupation, largely
American. The Soviets came to be viewed that way within a year
of their invasion. When we moved into Afghanistan almost eight
years ago—and with a very small force—we were actually welcomed.
If we are not careful, we could come to be viewed by the Afghans
like the Russians, and that would be a strategic defeat.  That
is why we need to take advantage of the complex but traditional
Afghan political realities as the point of departure for various
local accommodations that re