The Foreign Service Journal, January 2011

24 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 1 people of the province. The Taliban fired two rockets at the gathering, but they fell short, landing in a neigh- boring bazaar. Sixteen Afghan civil- ians died and 37 were seriously wounded. U.S. and French medics re- sponded immediately and were able to save many lives. The PRT’s USAID officer, with support from U.S. and French civil affairs staff, quickly organized substantial hu- manitarian aid packages for the sur- vivors and the families of the dead. This assistance was followed up soon after with measures designed to provide long-term eco- nomic benefits for the rocket victims. All the while, the coalition continued to manage the responses through the leaders of the villages that had suffered casualties. Signs of Progress In addition to economic development and humani- tarian aid, another major effort has been partnering with local communities and leaders in northern Tagab to im- prove security. The villages along the major road through the region had been plagued with improvised explosive devices and ambushes on coalition forces and the Afghan police and army. These attacks left local communities caught in the crossfire. In response, the local Afghan National Police com- mander, a brave and effective leader who has been shot three times by the Taliban, organized two teams of men from local villages to improve security along the road. The coalition and PRT encouraged these efforts, known collectively as the Road Maintenance Initiative, by pay- ing teams of 15 to 20 local men to clean up debris and fix potholes (taking away IED hiding spots) and maintain a presence on the main road. In addition, the ANP partnered with U.S. special forces to train the men on how to report IEDs and am- bush sites. Through such cooperation, the two teams have effectively eliminated attacks on the road and de- nied freedom of movement to insurgents. This, in turn, improved overall security in the villages, and extended the reach of governance and rule of law. The coalition has complemented these efforts by fo- cusing development resources in the area to serve as an example for other Safi Pashtun communities in central and south- ern Tagab. This strategy takes ad- vantage of the fact that local leaders who are able to procure de- velopment projects for their areas see their stature rise and hence their positive influence. Focusing efforts in locales supportive of the government and coalition also en- sures that a consistent message is sent regarding successful coopera- tion: long-term positive relation- ships are possible because the coalition is a reliable partner. In northern Tagab the coalition has worked with local leaders to build a courthouse, sports facility, clinic and wells; refurbish mosques; and clean irrigation canals. Much of this has been done through cash-for-work proj- ects that ensure local villagers have access to the imme- diate benefits of such efforts and directly participate in bettering their own communities. While these programs are still at an early stage, con- sistently engaging the communities of northern Tagab has proven that direly insecure locales can be turned around. There has been a significant reduction in insur- gent attacks along the road through northern Tagab. Sig- nificantly, other communities in neighboring districts have asked for similar levels of engagement and inclu- sion in efforts like the Road Maintenance Initiative. The consistency of the effort has encouraged local leaders who were previously hesitant to interact with the coali- tion to step up. For example, one elected official who had been highly reluctant to meet with coalition forces as recently as De- cember 2009 is now a close partner who cooperates reg- ularly on a host of issues. While coalition members have initiated many of these relationships, local officials have stepped up and furthered them. This has been especially true of the district’s subgov- ernor, who had suffered from a “siege mentality” and was left isolated in the district center. With improved secu- rity and a more consistent coalition presence, he has been able to further his own engagement with local commu- nities in tandem with our efforts. As the Tagab repre- sentative for the provincial government commented, “Thanks to the improved security, the people finally be- C OVER S TORY In addition to promoting economic development and disbursing humanitarian aid, PRT Kapisa has been partnering with local communities and leaders to improve security.