Paris, 16 June 2010 – The Assembly has called for the European Union and NATO to improve their communication strategy on the war in Afghanistan, saying that greater “honesty and candour” was more likely to win public support for the efforts to crack down on terrorism.

Presenting a report entitled “Afghanistan – explaining the reasons for the war to the public” on behalf of the Parliamentary and Public Relations Committee, John GREENWAY (United Kingdom, Federated Group) said that public support in the “most intractable and challenging military operation in perhaps two or more generations” was dwindling overall, although there were differences of opinion within and between countries.

The reason for the decline was “often in direct consequence to loss of life, which offends contemporary sensibilities and values about justice and humanity”, he said. Obtaining public support “is more likely to be achieved by increased honesty and candour about why we are there and what we seek to achieve”. For the moment, the public had the impression that the war was “bogged down, and that both military and civilian efforts are not succeeding”, Mr GREENWAY said.

The key aim of the report was “to try to bring together trends or shifts in public opinion about the war” in countries contributing troops. It was not about whether the war was justified, nor how it should be conducted or ended. Another important element was opinion inside Afghanistan, which had been given little attention in EU countries, Mr Greenway said, adding “what has been presented to the public so far lacks clarity and accuracy”.
 
In particular, the report said that there needed to be more information provided on progress and the achievements of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which groups the Alliance forces under NATO command, and that there should be a constant reminder “that the principal aim of the war is to combat terrorism”.

There was a need to “highlight progress in building better relationships with the Afghan people, the creation of viable locally owned institutions and the rejection of corruption and illegal trafficking”. In addition, training assistance and cooperation with the Afghan media should be increased “to help establish better standards of reporting in Afghanistan”.

Speaking from the floor, Françoise HOSTALIER (France, EPP/CD) remarked that “terror feeds on ignorance” and stressed the importance of improving standards of reporting. She added that it was also important to adopt the “proper tone” for communication, a term that would have been a worthwhile addition to the report, Mr Greenway said. Oliver HEALD (United Kingdom, Federated Group) cautioned that communication strategies did not win wars, and said that the Assembly’s views on Afghanistan were in line with those of the new British coalition Government.