From my op ed with Representative Raul Grijalva

Before Afghanistan becomes for President Barack Obama what Iraq became for former President George W. Bush — a seemingly incurable conflict that alienated America’s allies and increased insecurity regionally — we recommend an augment to the Afghanistan approach.

The plan is primarily military, with bolstered U.S. troops and barely $1 billion in nonmilitary assistance. While the president is right to focus his energies on Afghanistan, this approach will fail to garner the security that he seeks. While Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is right to seek Iran’s assistance, mirroring aid offered in 2001 post-invasion, it will only be successful if acted in concert with initiatives below.

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