Time and the Question of Unintended Impact on Military Strategy: Nato in Afghanistan

CHAPTER TEN: Unintended impact on the strategy

This chapter identifies two aspects in the variable “time” to address unintended impact on a strategy: Short versus long term focus and predictability. The International Security Stabilisation Force’s focus on the tactical level successes to secure that the short term objectives is reached has gradually changed the objective on the grand strategy level clouding the end state. At the same time the predictability focus contributed to prioritization of short-term tactical objectives, as they were easier to benchmark rather than grand strategic objectives. This changed the end state from eradication of the Taliban to nation-building to transition of security responsibilities. The result is a strategy that has become focused on tactical level objective. This has blurred the understanding of the end state in a pursuit of tactical successes.