KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- Afghanistan's civilian "surge" begins in Dubai airport’s Terminal 2, where the civilian contractors and development experts line up for outbound flights to Kabul on obscure carriers like KamAir, Safi Airways and Ariana. In one corner of the terminal, ex-military types breakfast on Big Macs. They are men with close-shaved heads and Popeye forearms, wearing the uniform of the military contractor: desert boots, khaki cargo pants, Oakley rucksack, polo shirt. The logos on their shirts -- EODT, MPRI, Triple Canopy -- discreetly advertise their line of work. Over at the Costa Coffee, the international do-gooders get their morning java fix and hop on wireless. They wear laminated badges for agencies like USAID and carry MacBooks.
It's a crucial summer here: The Obama administration is dramatically expanding its commitment to Afghanistan, and it wants a major civilian effort to parallel the military campaign. Terminal 2 is where many of the civilians will pass through on their way to staff Provincial Reconstruction Teams, work on infrastructure projects or run training programs.
Equally important, Afghans are preparing to elect a president on August 20. While incumbent President Hamid Karzai is widely seen as the front-runner, it's now unclear if he can win re-election in the first round. As I write, Karzai has embarked on a campaign swing through the heart of Taliban country, pledging to reconcile with moderate elements of the insurgency and bring them into the political process.
This is my fourth visit to Afghanistan since 2002, and I'm here to see how this new strategy is unfolding in practice. Over the next few weeks, I'll be filing dispatches from the road; I'll also keep an eye out for some of the tech-ier aspects of the ongoing campaign. Stay tuned.
[PHOTO: U.S. Department of Defense]
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