Who Should Lead Post-Conflict Reconstruction?
In this week’s CFR.org Online Debate, Craig Cohen, deputy chief of staff and fellow in the
Post-conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Col. Garland Williams, author of Engineering Peace: The Military Role in Post-Conflict Reconstruction, debate whether post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere should be a civilian or military effort.
“The U.S. military can buy valuable time, but our strategy for victory in Iraq and Afghanistan is political, best orchestrated by our civilian officials in coordination with their military counterparts,” Cohen argues.
In the Online Debate’s latest entry, Williams says, “the absence of reconstruction authority for the military prolongs the period of instability, uncertainty, and unrest, further extending the military’s requirement to remain in theater to provide a safe and secure environment.”
Check in here for updates as the discussion continues throughout the week.
