Washington, D.C.—International efforts to stabilize Afghanistan will fail if Afghan perceptions are ignored, the Open Society Foundations said in a report released today. The report, The Trust Deficit: The Impact of Local Perceptions on Policy in Afghanistan, highlights the erosion of Afghan confidence in international forces due to civilian casualties, wrongful and abusive detention operations, deteriorating security, and a lack of accountability.
While insurgents may be statistically responsible for a greater share of civilian casualties, many Afghans place equal or greater blame on international forces, in particular the U.S. military. With such mistrust, many accuse the West of directly or indirectly supporting insurgents to justify their continued presence in Afghanistan, the report noted.
“Though stories about international forces supporting insurgents or planting IEDs are often dismissed as conspiracy theories or propaganda, they offer a reality check on just how strained the international community’s position is in Afghanistan,” said Erica Gaston, a human rights lawyer for Open Society Foundations and co-author of the report.
With this gap in confidence, the international community will find it difficult to implement some of its most ambitious strategies, such as reconciliation and reintegration. Some policy changes have addressed Afghan concerns, the report noted. But high numbers of civilian casualties, abuses that continue from night raids, and impact of troop increases in contested areas still negatively shape Afghan perceptions.
Afghan suspicions about the international community are further exacerbated by its support for local armed groups. Support for these groups often empowers warlords and criminal groups; leads to corruption and serious human rights abuses; and, in some cases, diverts international community resources to insurgents. These negative perceptions are reinforced by a lack of accountability through investigations and subsequent criminal and disciplinary procedures.
“Accountability is conspicuously missing from a counterinsurgency strategy that is supposed to win over Afghan trust,” said Jonathan Horowitz, a human rights expert and co-author of the report. “The military constantly talks about moving forward, but Afghans are not so eager to sweep civilian casualties and detainee abuse under the carpet.”
The report recommends that the international community address the underlying policies that are feeding negative Afghan perceptions. Also, reconciliation talks should include a transitional justice mechanism that acknowledges and documents the suffering of victims and helps Afghan communities address past grievances.
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Active in more than 70 countries, the Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Working with local communities, the Open Society Foundations support justice and human rights, freedom of expression, and access to public health and education.