International efforts are under way to begin a recovery process in Afghanistan now that anti-Taliban forces have taken control of Kabul. International cooperation in Afghan recovery and reconstruction is a logical follow-up to the internationally supported military campaign against Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist network.
Japan has its work cut out to help rebuild that war-ravaged country. This nation -- which was reduced to sitting on the sidelines during the 1991 Persian Gulf War against Iraq -- has moved swiftly this time around to provide noncombat support for U.S. forces. As for post-Taliban recovery, Japan is set to host an international ministerial-level meeting in Tokyo in late January.
The recovery process promises to be more difficult and take more time than the military campaign. Japan will likely face far more daunting challenges than the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces troops. Stamping out terrorist influences in Afghanistan requires sustained efforts to bring peace and stability to a country long neglected by much of the rest of the world. The question for this nation is how much initiative and leadership it can provide in these nonmilitary efforts.