Frogs for Snakes

The Taliban in Afghanistan is recasting its image as a national insurgency, distancing itself from al-Qaeda and international terrorism in general and modulating its use of domestic terror as a tactic. A December code-of-conduct directive from Taliban spiritual leader Muhammad Omar included on suicide bombings against civilians, burning down schools, or cutting off ears, lips and tongues, thereby promising a kinder, gentler, terrorism [New York Times].

Obviously, the changes come in response to increased U.S and ISAF activity and the nascent success of a revised counterinsurgency doctrine. Sadly, Taliban adaptations are themselves proving successful, suggesting many more troops and a central government that has earned the trust of its people will be needed if something like an
Afghan state will emerge from this conflict.

The Washington Post covers the significance of a trip to Japan by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates here. While we, the people, not the government, was paying attention to other things, Japan voted what for 50 years had been their opposition party into power, who then began to change the way Japan does things to try to work the country out of an economic and social “malaise” that has been going on for two decades.

Japan now is far less willing to defer foreign policy (meaning strategic) decisions to Washington and in that, and in a general trend towards independance from the U.S., are making themselves an issue the needs to be actively dealt with to ensure a continued strong alliance.

What we really don’t want, whether we know it or not, is to one day look up from our granola, or the most recent article on the demise of Pakistan or the rise of religious militants, or this year’s “American Idol” finale, to see that people who have been our good friends for a long time aren’t anymore, because we have been taking them for granted.