May

22

Citizenship for military service

May 22, 2009 | 7 Comments | Sam Wylie

It was announced in the British Parliament yesterday that all Gurkha soldiers who served in the British Army for more than four years are entitled to settle in the UK.  This is a continuation of an age old practice of granting citizenship to foreigners in exchange for their military service.  During the first century AD, the Roman Empire began granting Roman citizenship to foreigners who served for 25 years in auxiliary units on the frontiers.  This practice was highly successful during the “Pax Romana” period until the end of the second century AD. 

The US and its allies in the conflict in Afghanistan might consider offering citizenship in exchange for military service.  Otherwise they probably cannot win in Afghanistan.

The problem for the US in Afghanistan is the impatience of the US public.  The population of Afghanistan knows that the US will not stay in their country forever, because the cost in blood and treasure is too great, and when the US military goes home the Taliban will still be there and will reap vengeance on those who collaborated with the US.  Acting rationally, the Afghan population looks forward and reasons backwards to a decision not to cooperate with the US today to isolate the Taliban. 

Without the help of the local population the US military cannot defeat the Taliban.  As Ho Chi Min said “a freedom fighter moves through the population like a fish through water”.  The support of Afghanistan’s 32 million people is everything in this conflict.  With it the Taliban cannot be defeated.  Without it they are fish out of water. 

The only way that the US can win is to convince the local population that they are there to stay for the long run.  That is where citizenship for military service comes in.  If the US recruited 200,000 “auxilliaries” from around the world and stationed them in Afganistan, then because the US public’s perception of the cost of the conflict would be so much lower, the US could credibly commit to stay for the long run.  The auxilliaries would be promised citizenship after 25 years service, which would itself be a long term commitment to Afghanistan. 

If the US thinks it is doing the right thing in the Afghanistan, then there is nothing wrong with enlisting non citizens in the fight.  If it is not the right fight then they should leave today.  But if they are going to stay they need to take steps to make their long term commitment to the fight credible, otherwise they cannot win.

If I was recruiting auxilliaries my first stop would be Nepal.


Comments

7 Responses to “Citizenship for military service”

  1. Caz on May 22nd, 2009 9:29 pm

    you mean offer this to Afghans?  Google
    Naturalization Information for Military Personnel
    as I can’t get the hyperlink button to work

  2. Anotherwaytomove.info » Blog Archive » Citizenship for military service on May 23rd, 2009 10:51 am

    [...] Read more: Citizenship for military service [...]

  3. Amdes on May 23rd, 2009 1:45 pm

    I feel that the problem with recruiting auxiliaries is to get any for a long term. The only people who would be willing to commit for so long in Afghanistan are the people who are facing even worse economical and living conditions than in Afganistan. Even if Gurkhas are recruited, there is a major cultural difference for Gurkhas to actually value the incentive of the US citizenship.

    Another problem is, the incentive of getting US citizenship after 25 years (or any longer time period) is not that attractive as very few would think about getting a US citizenship that benefits their future generation than their own.

    Going a little deeper, the problem that US faces to get out of Afghanistan without a clean win is the risk of another 9/11. The phrase “Bites if held and runs if let loose” fits their situation.

  4. chris joye on May 24th, 2009 6:43 pm

    great idea, sam. you should blog much more on foreign affairs, military and intelligence matters given your ASIO experience. i would make the term 5 years and then continuously recycle the pool of soldiers.

    why the nepalese, sam?

  5. sam wylie on May 24th, 2009 9:30 pm

    Chris,
    Because the Gurkha people are from Nepal, and the Gurkha Regiments have fought such distinction in the British Army for 150 years and the Indian Army for over 60 years. 

  6. HeathG on May 25th, 2009 2:32 pm

    FYI.. you cna apply for French citizenship after 3 years in the Foreign Legion, however the granting of citizenship is not automatic.
    http://www.legion-recrute.com/en/faq.php

  7. derrida derider on May 26th, 2009 4:39 pm

    But this is already the norm! Legal permanent residents of the US can join the US military.  They are “fast tracked” to US citizenship after 12 months service.  There are about 29,000 such servicemen at any given time.  They recently extended this to <b>temporary</b> residents  – see <a href=”http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/15/2492006.htm”>here</a>.

    Using foreign mercenaries in a war where you are trying to win local hearts and minds, though, is likely to be highly counterproductive (as it has been in Iraq with those “security contractors”).  Such people  – how can we put this? – tend to lack scrupulous regard for the laws of war.  They also tend to desert you when the going gets rough and you need them most (as Macchiavelli noted).