America’s Bureaucratic Way of War

Abstract

This chapter argues that the structure of the U.S. national security apparatus favors compartmentalization over cooperation and coordination, leading to a focus on the micro-level and a lack of accountability. The separation of rebuilding tasks between different U.S. agencies, but also between different international actors, was quickly and aptly exploited by Afghan elites to promote personal and political power. Ineffective decisions stemming from compartmentalization created a sense of alienation and unwanted military occupation among the Afghan population. While Karzai struggled to get U.S. support, and disputes between local leaders led to civilian harm, the Taliban started to reorganize.