News Item

Hand In Hand

SONNY SIDHU: This is War News Radio. Tom Perriello has worked around the world, including in Afghanistan, as a consultant for the International Centre for Transitional Justice. He is now the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 5th District. Elizabeth Hipple spoke to him about where the United States has gone wrong in trying to improve security in Afghanistan, and what needs to be done about it.

ELIZABETH HIPPLE: Based on your experience working in Afghanistan, what would you say are the biggest challenges that country is currently facing?

TOM PERRIELLO: I think what has been the tragic flaw of our mission in Afghanistan is that the Bush administration has spent far too much time appeasing some of the very warlords who had been thrown off with some glee during the Taliban period. So what we’ve offered people, unfortunately, is not the choice between Al-Qaeda and democracy we’ve ended up offering a choice between sort of narco-trafficking druglords and a resurgent Taliban and I think people are sick and tired in Afghanistan of being offered those sorts of options.

ELIZABETH HIPPLE: Would you agree with Barack Obama’s opinion that the war in Afghanistan has suffered because of the U.S.’s focus on the war in Iraq?

TOM PERRIELLO: Absolutely but that began a long time ago.