October 24, 2001

ALLIANCE OR COMPLIANCE?
Analyzing Power Relationships Inside and Outside Afghanistan

Grades:  6-8,9-12

Subjects:  Geography, Current Events, Global History, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Alliance of Convenience", By MICHAEL R. GORDON, October 24, 2001

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students examine the relationships between and among powers inside and outside Afghanistan in connection to United States military aggression in the territory.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:
1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Think critically about the United States' support of the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan.
  2. Examine the notion of forming military alliances by reading and discussing "Alliance of Convenience."
  3. Investigate the relationships between and among non-United States powers inside Afghanistan (Northern Alliance and Taliban) and neighboring countries of Pakistan, India, Russia, and Iran.
  4. Present the positions of these powers at a United Nations-sponsored emergency summit on United States military aggression in Afghanistan.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "Even though the United States has acknowledged its uneasiness with the Northern Alliance, a loose coalition of ethnic groups in Afghanistan fighting against the Taliban, the Bush administration has decided to support them militarily. What do you think of this new official ally, a group one British journalist referred to as a 'confederacy of warlords, patriots, rapists and torturers'? What is an ally? What do you think the Northern Alliance has to offer the United States in this relationship, and vice versa?" Students then share their responses. (You may wish to offer a brief overview of the United States' military involvement in Afghanistan during Soviet occupation before proceeding, if necessary.)
  2. As a class, read and discuss the article "Alliance of Convenience," focusing on the following questions:
    1. According to the article, why is the United States supporting the Northern Alliance?
    2. What does the reporter mean when he states that United States troops were prepared to "mix it up" on the ground?
    3. Why is the Taliban the target of United States military aggression?
    4. Who are the members of the Northern Alliance, according to the article?
    5. How does Afghanistan's geography affect military and intelligence actions on the part of the United States?
    6. According to the article, what have Taliban leaders done in response to increased military aggression from the United States?
    7. What are some similarities and differences between current warfare in Afghanistan and the conflict in Kosovo during NATO's war with Yugoslavia?
    8. How did Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld describe the Taliban forces, according to the article?
    9. Why might the Bush administration's decision to work with the Northern Alliance be viewed as "contradictory"?
    10. What are some possible problems that might result of the United States-Northern Alliance relationship, according to the article?
    11. What are Afghanistan's neighbors' perceptions of possible future security issues, according to the article?
    12. What role might the United Nations play in this situation?
    13. What is one basic military goal of the Bush administration, according to the article?
    14. How might religion affect future fighting in Afghanistan?
  3. With their new understanding of the alliance between the United States and the Northern Alliance, students will participate in a mock summit in which they will explore relationships between and among non-United States powers in Afghanistan and in neighboring countries. Revisit the following quote from the article with students: "Afghanistan's neighbors -- Pakistan, Iran, India and Russia -- all have competing agendas and sympathies." Explain to students that the United Nations has offered a neutral forum for these countries, as well as the conflicting powers of the Taliban and Northern Alliance inside Afghanistan, to present their positions on the current military action in an emergency summit (to be held in a future class). "Delegates" representing each power will offer official statements summarizing their views.
    Divide students into six groups, and assign each group one of the following groups or countries: Taliban, Northern Alliance, Pakistan, India, Iran, and Russia. Using all available classroom resources, groups research the following information to present at the summit (written on the board for easier student access):
    • current stance on United States military action in Afghanistan
    • response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States
    • current relationship with the United States (political and economic)
    • relationship with the United States 15 years ago
    • current relationships with the other five powers
    • past relationships with the other five powers
    • possible gains due to current warfare
    • possible losses due to current warfare
    • hypothetical ideal outcome of the current military action in Afghanistan
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Once research is complete, students type their findings and ideas into a report to serve as a formal statement representing their power's interests. Statements should be no longer than five minutes long when read aloud. Positions should be presented at the emergency summit, to be held in a future class. At the summit, all students should maintain the personas of the groups that they represent and take notes on other powers' presentations. After all powers have presented, open the floor to discussion. Allow all students, acting as delegates representing the six powers, to question and respond to each other.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on their written journal entries, participation in class discussions, group research and written statements, and participation in emergency United Nations summit.

VOCABULARY:
calculated, accelerate, raid, topple, sanctuary, coalition, banner, enables, distressing, tactics, reinforcements, tactical, guerrilla, forays, warplanes, arrayed, defections, contradictory, expedite, demographic, vexing, agendas, sympathies, endorsement, vacuum, raging, striving

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. The article read in class mentions the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Create an annotated, illustrated calendar of Islamic holidays, with a paragraph describing the historical and religious significance of each.
  2. Is the comparison between the Northern Alliance and the Kosovo Liberation Army a valid one? Research each of these groups and write an Op-Ed article supporting or refuting this analogy.
  3. Should religious holidays be a factor in determining military action in times of war? Write a persuasive essay in response to this question.
  4. One neighboring country not mentioned in the article is Georgia. Research how the current battle in Afghanistan is affecting the Caucasus Mountain region, and specifically the relationship among Georgia, Chechnya, and Russia. Write a news article or other creative piece on the topic, and present your findings in class.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
American History- The United States has a history of supporting "rogue" leaders with the purpose of keeping those considered greater enemies from gaining power. Research the Central Intelligence Agency's past sponsorship of the following dictators: Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, Suharto of Indonesia, Chiang Kai-shek of Taiwan, Ngo Dinh Diem of Vietnam, and Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire. Could one make a comparison between the support of these leaders and past and current United States support of Afghan rebels? Write an editorial stating your views and exploring the comparison.

Economics- How is foreign aid distributed in war-torn regions? Create a graph of the top government and non-governmental sources of foreign aid and where they distribute their assistance. For a critical perspective, you may wish to read former Peace Corps and USAID worker Michael Maren's critique of humanitarian aid to foreign governments ("The Road to Hell: The Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid and International Charity").

Journalism- Colloquial terms and metaphors such as "mix it up on the ground," "keep the heat on" and "bombs rain down" were used in this article to describe military action in Afghanistan. Compile a list of other war metaphors employed in the current coverage of the "war on terrorism" and write an analysis of each. How do you think the use of metaphors and analogies conveys the information the journalist wishes to report? How might they affect the reader's perception of what is taking place?

Media Studies- Should the media coverage of wars be regulated? Stage a debate to address this question in class. You may wish to compare the current situation in Afghanistan to past military conflicts in Iraq and Vietnam.

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The New York Times Company

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