With a possible new military role for the Dutch in Afghanistan the topic of feverish debate in The Hague, career diplomat Michel Rentenaar has just returned from that country.
He speaks to RNW about his experiences there, the reasons why things work differently in Afghanistan, the individual Afghans he met, and about the need to zigzag in order to achieve your objectives.
During his six-month stint in Afghanistan, Mr Rentenaar was the civilian head of the Dutch-led Task Force Uruzgan, as well as Director of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
For the uninitiated: PRTs are the cornerstone of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. They speak to the local population and their leaders; they set up projects ranging from agricultural improvements to mediation in local conflicts. The Dutch PRT in Uruzgan has some 120 military and civilian personnel as part of a total of 1,500 troops from the Netherlands in that province.
Lead photo: Michel Rentenaar 'on the ground' in Afghanistan (Dutch Ministry of Defence photo)
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Afghanistan has been used and abused by different countries for different motives for the past 30 years. No wonder, most of the people are not literate. A Pathan is known by his traditional wear and beard. Mr Rentenaar, should not call them 'fierce and from the 14th century', rather they should be lauded for preserving their culture. All things Western are not the best things. East has its own style of living. The World, including Pakistan, should leave Afghans alone and let them find their way out of this maze. They are capable of it, I am sure..
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