"

U.S. gambles on long-term aid as security key

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seen from Washington, the threats can all look the same: deeply divided societies plagued by corruption, poverty and growing Islamic militant movements that harbor deep hatred for the United States.

But while Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and now Yemen may appear similar from a distance, up close each is a very different struggle -- a lesson Washington must learn to achieve its objectives in any of them, security analysts say.

This week, U.S. allies meet in London for two conferences on Afghanistan and Yemen that will spotlight how President Barack Obama's policies are evolving to meet the expanding constellation of security threats.

Both will underscore a shift from short-term crisis management to long-term nation-building -- a potential hard sell for a U.S. public exhausted with war and unnerved by record government deficits and high unemployment at home.

With some Republicans raising concern the administration has not responded aggressively enough to the Yemen threat even as it muscles up in Afghanistan, Obama must persuade skittish voters that his strategy will keep the country safe in a world where the next attack could come at any time.

"The rise of Yemen illustrates the difficulty the United States is facing in dealing with the network phenomenon of global jihadi terrorists," said Stewart Patrick, a senior security fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"You've got the world's only superpower playing a game of whack-a-mole," Patrick said, referring to popular game in which play

ers whack down one peg only to see it pop up elsewhere.

"There are obviously limitations with that kind of strategy. It leaves the impetus and initiative open to al Qaeda."

In Afghanistan, U.S. plans have focused on the military, with Obama pledging to add 30,000 U.S. troops to the 68,000 already there fighting Taliban militants.

The strategy mirrors that ordered for Iraq by former President George W. Bush in 2007, which was credited with reducing violence and setting the stage for a U.S. withdrawal.

Whether it will be effective in Afghanistan is still an open question.

More . . .

"

==============================================

It is unfortunate that we, U.S., have not learned out lessons from pouring money into Pakistan.  Just 'aid' does not work. Humanitarian work does.

For more on what CAN work, read "Three cups of tea" - it is very insightful on cultural differences.

-- Edited by Sanders on Sunday 24th of January 2010 11:40:53 AM