World | Obama administration For Afghan Success, Look to Colombia Countries face similar troubles—and Colombians know how to fix them By Matt Cantor Posted Apr 5, 2009 11:11 AM CDT Copied A US soldier stands guard as members of Afghan Public Protection Force leave a graduation ceremony in Jalrez district of Wardak province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) When President Obama reviewed US strategy in Afghanistan, the lessons of Iraq were key. But a better comparison might be Colombia, where parallels abound—and where the government has handled insurgents with a fair bit of success, writes Scott Wilson in the Washington Post. Both Afghanistan and Colombia have faced “a homegrown insurgency inflamed by a pesky neighbor, millions in drug profits and a weak central government.” What can Obama learn from Colombia? For Wilson, a former Colombia correspondent, a US troop surge may be less helpful than increasing training for Colombian forces. Destroying the drug trade should take a backseat to boosting state institutions, such as schools and health clinics. Trying to quash insurgents’ border strongholds has little effect. And the last lesson “is a stark one: It will take time. The Colombian effort has taken nearly a decade and counting,” Wilson writes. Read These Next UPS driver hits the Slip 'N Slide with some partying teens. Kohberger agrees to plea deal in Idaho killings. Lorde's risque photo causes a fuss. Death certificate reveals Brian Wilson's cause of death. Report an error