SPEAKOUT: Patience keys success
By Michael Foote
Published July 8, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
The recent rescue of 15 hostages from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) by the Columbian army was daring and inspirational. It also showed the value of patience, something Americans too often overlook in their national security debates.
The FARC was founded in 1964 as a Columbian Marxist revolutionary insurgency. Their force was at a nuisance level until the 1980s when they discovered the monetary value of taking hostages and selling cocaine to Americans. Their numbers and strength soon surged.
Since then, the Columbian government, with American military and intelligence aid, mounted a counterinsurgency campaign that left the FARC weakened and demoralized. Ironically, the FARC's reliance on drug money sowed the seeds of its own discredit as it changed from a revolutionary organization to an outfit of common criminals. The loss of Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractor hostages was just the latest of its tactical defeats.
The hostage rescue operation took years of planning. An informant was planted in the lower ranks of the FARC and rose to a higher level before he could contribute. Similarly, recent battlefield defeats of the FARC took an enormous amount of time and resources. Nothing happened overnight.
FARC fighters had orders to kill the hostages at the first sign of a rescue. A more creative and time-consuming operation was necessary. The hostages would either still be captive or dead had it not been for patience.
Americans also find themselves in the midst of insurgencies, although overseas rather than at home. Politicians debate between "surrender" and "bringing the troops home" as if there is nothing in between. Nuanced arguments fall victim to sound-bite criticisms. All sides of the debate need to recognize that successful counterinsurgency takes a lot of time. It takes patience.
When Taliban fighters speak to Afghan villagers, they often say, "The Americans may have the watches, but we have all the time." What they mean is they can defeat the United States by waiting it out. They believe Americans will get frustrated and withdraw. Insurgents and terrorists in Iraq have the same view. They think Americans lack the patience for a difficult counterinsurgency campaign. Hopefully they are mistaken.
Tactically speaking, showing patience does not mean leaving 130,000 United States military personnel in Iraq. For a variety of economic and military reasons, those numbers simply cannot be sustained. What it means is taking a long-term view and realizing the United States must maintain its involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan for many years. The military must remain engaged even though it will be with fewer troops on the ground. Diplomatic, intelligence, and economic resources will increase in importance.
A quick and irresponsible withdrawal of American forces from Iraq will only hurt the counterinsurgency effort there and in Afghanistan.
The fight against terrorist organizations, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the many national security challenges lurking in the future - the United States can prevail in all of these with the right strategy and tactics. The common thread to victory is patience.
Michael Foote a deputy district attorney in Boulder.
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July 8, 2008
9 a.m.
Suggest removal
KaySieverding writes:
The word is persistence.
Patience implies waiting.
Persistence implies work. The hostages were rescued thru work. You will probably find that they stayed sane while being held because they set up some sort of self discipline. I was unlawfully imprisoned for 5 months without being accused of or convicted of a crime. I set up a schedule for myself that involved studying law and writing about legal matters from 7 am to 7 pm. After 7, I would try to relax so that I could sleep better. That's when I would read novels, watch tv, draw pictures, or play cards. During the day I tried to think of it as work. I made lists of things to read and write. I read American Jurisprudence for days at a time. These hostages probably didn't just daydream.
July 8, 2008
7:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
KaySieverding writes:
what % of Afghanis can speak and read English? Maybe we should have a reach out and blog for world peace campaign.