“The high point of the days at the speedway involved ramming through a car that blocked the road, using the heavy Crown Vic as a battering ram. Tips from our burly and brainy instructor included, “Slow down before hitting the… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share Image
“when people thought the country was headed in the wrong direction, corruption was their second-biggest concern, after security.3” — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“Despite our cultural training, we remained ignorant of the cultural and political nuances that would affect our ability to run meetings effectively. The sole… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“One true measure of progress in Afghanistan is the relationship between the government and the people. The more the villagers support the government, the… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“In midsummer Cip Jungberg, the second USAID officer for the district, arrived. As Antoine Huss left, the district needed two officers to work there,… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“A failing district would cause the entire government to fail, he added, and so the government was on course to fail because the districts… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“the government worked, if it could be trusted, and what they really needed. As Antoine Huss moved out and was succeeded in August by… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“Taliban commanders have reported the movement derives direct support from Pakistan’s ISI, or Inter-Service Intelligence Directorate, the intelligence service. One study noted, “According to… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“In Afghanistan when a woman is widowed, she is generally taken in by her late husband’s family. His brother might marry her if she… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“The embassy bureaucrat responded that there was no problem with creating a system that did not work very well. He said the Afghan system… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“Only the district could be trusted to make spending a priority, but how could the district do that if it had no money? The… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“The bulk of development funding was spent by the international donors themselves, as USAID or the Canadians did when they spent millions of dollars… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“In each village Nazak said the same thing: don’t work with the Taliban; work with me and get projects. Supporting the Taliban will lead… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“Spend a small amount of money that gives big results in the village. Always respond to people’s needs.” — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“Though analysts differ on the details, they agree that the centuries-old jostling between the Zirak Durranis and their rivals, the Panjpai Durranis and the… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
“How to measure progress has never been satisfactorily answered. In counterinsurgency almost no simple metrics used in a vacuum, such as the number of… — Douglas Grindle Copy Share
