When policy makers from developed countries gather “to form the world”, for a long time military forces were seen as the only ones of impact in areas of war and crisis. They were massively funded and specifically equipped to fulfill their tasks for the best possible outcome. But over the last decades civilian, mostly non-governmental, actors did show up for nation-building as well.
These organizations eventually demanded the right to participate – and than had to deal with urgent reconstruction issues as well. For this the question is how these – civilians and military personnel – work and win “wars” together when they have to. Based on Afghanistan, the pa-per points on the ever more used concept of civil-military cooperation from the perspective of the military. To gain insight, four different approaches (UN, NATO, US, Germany) are de-scribed and explained.
The context of the paper is formed by background-information on the current missions in Af-ghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom and International Security Assistance Force. And to get an impression of the cooperation, the paper overlooks the successful Provincial Recon-struction Teams.
The hypothesis of the paper is that successful civil-military cooperation is assumed to be a vital part in the stabilization-process in Afghanistan. This is due to the broad meaning that the different deployed actors put onto it. And, especially the featured military forces / bodies have changed within the last decade.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction and academic method
- Civil-military cooperation – Is this possible?
- Military component
- Civilian component
- Concepts of civil-military cooperation
- Cooperation in practice
- UN approach - Civil-military coordination
- NATO approach - Centre of Excellence & CIMIC
- US approach – Civil Affairs
- German approach - Internal & international cooperation
- Missions in Afghanistan and the use of CIMIC
- Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
- International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
- Example of cooperation: Germany in Northern Afghanistan
- Remarks on CIMIC based on this paper
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the role of civil-military cooperation in the stabilization process in Afghanistan, focusing on how the meaning of this concept varies across different deployed military actors. The author analyzes the UN, NATO, US, and German approaches to civil-military cooperation and their respective strategies for achieving stabilization in Afghanistan.- The importance of civil-military cooperation in achieving stabilization in post-conflict settings.
- The different interpretations of civil-military cooperation by various military actors, including the UN, NATO, US, and Germany.
- The role of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in fostering successful civil-military cooperation.
- The challenges of balancing military objectives with civilian priorities in reconstruction efforts.
- The need for effective coordination and communication between military and civilian actors to ensure successful outcomes.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction sets the stage by addressing the question of how civilian and military actors can collaborate effectively in conflict situations. It highlights the significance of civil-military cooperation in post-conflict reconstruction, drawing a comparison between Afghanistan and Iraq.
The second chapter delves into the definition and concept of civil-military cooperation, exploring the roles of both military and civilian actors in such collaborations. It underscores the rationale behind this approach, emphasizing the benefits of coordinated efforts.
The third chapter examines the practical implementation of civil-military cooperation through diverse approaches employed by the UN, NATO, US, and Germany. The author provides detailed insights into each actor's specific strategies and methodologies.
The fourth chapter focuses on the application of CIMIC (Civil-Military Cooperation) in the context of the current missions in Afghanistan, namely Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force. It offers a glimpse into the successful German Provincial Reconstruction Teams as an example of cooperation.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The central keywords of this paper revolve around civil-military cooperation, stabilization, Afghanistan, reconstruction, and the diverse approaches adopted by the UN, NATO, US, and Germany. The paper also explores the role of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) and the challenges associated with coordinating military and civilian objectives in post-conflict settings.- Quote paper
- Michael A. Braun (Author), 2005, Civil-military cooperation as a vital part in the stabilization-process in Afghanistan, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/116894
