Brig. Gen. David Reist, USMC, (Ret.), says as the Obama administration ponders its next moves in Afghanistan, it is "imperative" that we gain insight by engaging the Afghan people themselves.

Gen. Reist, a Senior Research Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, says those insights include an understanding of Afghan culture and history including the region's religion, tribal structure, governance, social norms, and rule of law.

Gen. Reist speaks from extensive experience including his previous post as Deputy Commanding General for Economics, Governance, and Tribal Engagement in Anbar Province, Iraq. He held that post from 2006-2007, at the time of the Anbar "Awakening."

Today, Gen. Reist says "we are not trying to make Afghanistan a small United States." Rather, he says it's important to understand how the Afghan people see themselves as part of the solution.  Says Gen. Reist: "This conflict is a test of wills, and one side is going to prevail."   

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