Sebastian Walker

The home comforts of the US's war in Afghanistan

Barack Obama, the US president, will this week announce a new strategy for Afghanistan that is expected to involve more troops and a greater effort to turn responsibility over to Afghans. This, of course, should sound familiar to anyone who has followed the war in Afghanistan. Just last summer, Obama sent thousands of US Marines into Helmand province to provide security for the impending national elections. I embedded with those Marines. 

Embedding clearly has its challenges. I have done it a number of times, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. You only see what the military allows you to see and if things get difficult - and they usually do - you depend on those you are covering to provide for your safety and well-being. That dynamic creates something similar to the Stockholm syndrome. In other words, it may be hard to report critically on the guys that may have to save your life and who are providing you food and water.