Let's feed Afghan democracy:
In a land facing hunger,
we can fight the war on terror with food

It was George Marshall, architect of the Marshall Plan, which rebuilt Europe after World War II, who observed that "democratic principles do not flourish on empty stomachs." Marshall's words ring true today in the fledgling democracy of Afghanistan, where over 8 million people are at risk from hunger and malnutrition.

The Bush administration would be wise to rally the international community to increase food aid to the Afghan government.

After World War II, food shipments were an integral aspect of the Marshall Plan. By helping Europe get back on its feet, the United States strengthened an area of strategic interest during the Cold War struggle against the Soviet Union.

Today, Afghanistan is the center of the global struggle against terrorism. Osama Bin Laden and remnants of al-Qaida are likely hiding in Afghanistan or across the border in Pakistan. Members of the former Taliban regime, which supported al-Qaida, are still offering resistance to the new government. But insurgent forces are not the only challenge threatening democracy in Afghanistan.

A drought has placed millions of Afghans in danger of hunger. In July, the United Nations and the Afghan government made a drought appeal for international food donations. To date, this appeal has not been fully answered by the international community.

Another tragedy is unfolding in the isolated mountainous regions of Afghanistan, where people are in need of food stocks to make it through the winter. The strategic placement of food supplies has to occur before the annual massive snowfalls, when it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reach these remote communities.

The United Nations warns of the dire consequences of food shortages in Afghanistan. Taliban and other resistance forces will benefit from any failure of the Afghan government to provide for its people. More Afghans will turn to cultivating narcotics for their livelihood. With the opium drug trade booming in Afghanistan, this regression is already occurring at a startling rate. Opium money ends up in the Taliban's hands and supports the insurgency.

There is also the challenge of heading off future humanitarian emergencies by establishing food reserves within Afghanistan. A grain reserve would offer Afghanistan some protection against future food shortages brought on by its age-old enemy of drought. Afghanistan could then focus more energy on developing stronger institutions and infrastructure.

But none of this will happen without robust U.S. and international aid.

Consider the alternative. Hunger and malnutrition put democracy at risk in a nation at the front line of fighting terrorism. It would be wise to plant the seeds today for an investment that will provide major yields in the 21st century struggle against terrorism.

This article appeared in the November 12, 2006 edition of the Chicago Sun-Times

William Lambers is a writer for the History News Service and the author of several books including "Nuclear Weapons" and the "The Road to Peace: From the Disarming of the Great Lakes to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty."