Nation Building in Afghanistan. The German Provincial Reconstruction Team Concept -- Means to Improve Efficiency of Effort

摘要

This paper examines the role of the military in Nation Building through the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) concept. Nation Building is a way to stabilize failed states for the long term. In the environment of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), it is a logical consequence of managing the results of military operations to win the peace. Germany's initial focus in Afghanistan was on stabilization and reconstruction in the capital of Kabul with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). While it was combating remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, the United States started to set up local PRTs in the Afghan provinces using the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) mandate. Recognizing the requirement of a geographically wider approach to stabilization and reconstruction, Germany joined the PRT process by the end of 2003. But unlike the United States PRT, the German PRT operates under the ISAF mandate. This paper examines the different policies and approaches that operate within the overall PRT concept, including those adopted by the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Germany. Potential impacts in terms of practicability, force protection, efficiency, and lasting effects on reconstruction and development are assessed. The German PRT concept combines organizational requirements for Nation Building with practical constraints concerning ministerial competencies and security. The paper concludes with recommendations for further improvements to the concept.