By — Dan Sagalyn Dan Sagalyn Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/asia-july-dec09-afghanpod_11-18 Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Afghan Dilemma Recalls Vietnam Lessons World Nov 18, 2009 2:20 PM EDT As the Obama administration grapples with the question of whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, a number of historians have spoken about the similarities between the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan. This month the Military Review, the Army’s leading professional journal, published an article called “Refighting the Last War: Afghanistan and the Vietnam Template.” One of its authors, Thomas Johnson said many of the mistakes made in Vietnam are being repeated in Afghanistan. Both wars took place in rugged terrains of Asia, thousands of miles from the United States, with 80 percent of the population in rural areas, said Johnson. Politically speaking, in South Vietnam and Afghanistan, both regimes were viewed as illegitimate by a vast majority of the population, he said. “Many scholars have suggested that one of the prerequisites for a successful counterinsurgency is having a government or a governmental partner … that seems legitimate by 80 to 90 percent of the population, and that just doesn’t hold in Afghanistan,” he said. More Afghan conversations: Greg Jaffe, Washington Post Pentagon reporter Matthew Hoh, former State Department official who resigned over Afghan policy Marc Sageman, former CIA operative Rory Stewart, author who spent two years walking across Afghanistan Bruce Riedel, former CIA officer and author Ashraf Ghani, former Afghan finance minister and presidential candidate We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Dan Sagalyn Dan Sagalyn As the deputy senior producer for foreign affairs and defense at the PBS NewsHour, Dan plays a key role in helping oversee and produce the program’s foreign affairs and defense stories. His pieces have broken new ground on an array of military issues, exposing debates simmering outside the public eye. @DanSagalyn
As the Obama administration grapples with the question of whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, a number of historians have spoken about the similarities between the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan. This month the Military Review, the Army’s leading professional journal, published an article called “Refighting the Last War: Afghanistan and the Vietnam Template.” One of its authors, Thomas Johnson said many of the mistakes made in Vietnam are being repeated in Afghanistan. Both wars took place in rugged terrains of Asia, thousands of miles from the United States, with 80 percent of the population in rural areas, said Johnson. Politically speaking, in South Vietnam and Afghanistan, both regimes were viewed as illegitimate by a vast majority of the population, he said. “Many scholars have suggested that one of the prerequisites for a successful counterinsurgency is having a government or a governmental partner … that seems legitimate by 80 to 90 percent of the population, and that just doesn’t hold in Afghanistan,” he said. More Afghan conversations: Greg Jaffe, Washington Post Pentagon reporter Matthew Hoh, former State Department official who resigned over Afghan policy Marc Sageman, former CIA operative Rory Stewart, author who spent two years walking across Afghanistan Bruce Riedel, former CIA officer and author Ashraf Ghani, former Afghan finance minister and presidential candidate We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now