Munoz has been a senior political scientist at the Rand Corp., a think tank in Washington, since 2009. He spent 29 years with the CIA, both in the Directorate of Operations and in the Directorate of Intelligence. As an analyst he worked on counterterrorism, counterinsurgency and counternarcotics programs that were implemented in the field. He has spent a significant amount of time in Afghanistan and is actively researching topics on the region.
Will Gen. David Petraeus change rules of engagement in Afghanistan that some troops say endanger American and NATO soldiers while tying their hands in battles with the Taliban?
I do not think Petraeus will reverse the new rules of engagement. That would be a huge step backward. The main complaint of Afghans regarding the U.S. and NATO forces is the issue of civilian casualties. … As a result of [Gen. Stanley] McChrystal’s guidelines, civilian casualties due to U.S. and NATO military operations have in fact declined significantly. That is good news. … It may be true that guidelines saving lives of civilians pose may pose more danger to the troops, but that is a risk outlined in Petraeus’ own counterinsurgency manual.
Will Petraeus consider moving away from the strict counterinsurgency of McChrystal to a more counterterrorism strategy?
The counterterrorism strategy is what brought us to the low point in 2009 in which the Taliban was resurgent and expanding its control over the countryside. The key issue in Afghanistan today is insurgency, not terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic the Taliban uses, but to conceive of them only as a bunch of terrorists … would be a fundamental mistake.
Will Petraeus be able to develop a better relationship with the policymakers than McChrystal had?
Everyone says that Petraeus is much more politically oriented than McChrystal, more comfortable in the political arena and more effective at it. Many speak of Petraeus already as a potential presidential candidate after he retires. — Sara Carter
SDHp
