From the Byzantine Empire to Afghanistan: A 'Theme' for Success

摘要

The holistic, bottom-up strategy of the Byzantine theme system which earned the 'buy-in' of the rural populace is capable of providing solutions for the crises that the Afghan government and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) are experiencing. Afghanistan needs a holistic, bottom-up counter- insurgency strategy which intertwines the mutual needs of the government and its people, therefore enfranchising all participants, Land reform which empowers the rural population, creates support for local security institutions, and establishes legitimacy for the local and central governments will disrupt the insurgent's ability to gain either explicit or implicit support and help resolve the unmediated interests which are at the core of the problem in Afghanistan today.