Military Review English Edition May-June 2014 | Page 73

INSIGHT
Therefore, there is no need to rehash the campaign. Instead, this article analyzes the terrain and
the sociocultural factors (sometimes called human
terrain) of the Korengal and Weygal valleys, primarily from a strategic perspective. It offers an
explanation for the fierce attacks on U.S. forces
during the multiyear effort at Kunar-Nuristan
(between 2007 and 2010). This work is offered
for reflection, discussion, and further study on
strategic analysis as well as to foster a productive
debate.

Korengal and Weygal as
Independent States

The Kunar-Nuristan region is a mountainous area
north of Jalalabad and east of Kabul. It contains a
large valley system created by the Kunar River,
which drains into the Kabul River in the south, on
the plains of Jalalabad. The Kunar subsequently
drains into the Indus River of Pakistan. As such,
the Kunar River valley system is a large tributary
of the greater Indus Valley, which empties into the
Indian Ocean (see figure 1).
The drainage basins of river valleys have defined
An Alternate Analysis of Kunarthe boundaries of distinct civilizations and cultures
Nuristan
throughout history.1 The traditional inhabitants of
To the inhabitants of the mountainous region the Kunar Valley are the Nuristani tribes, who are
of Kunar-Nuristan, their homeland is and always foreign to the inhabitants of the Helmand River
has been separate from the nation of Afghanistan. system (Pashtuns) and the Amur Darya River sysIn their minds, the U.S. campaign in the Korengal tems (Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks).
and Weygal valleys was an invasion of their indeBetween the various branches of the Kunar River
pendent homelands. From this point of view, U.S. the mountains provide natural boundaries between
forces, instead of conducting COIN, were invading the river’s subvalleys. At Asadabad the Kunar River
and occupying de facto sovereign nations who splits into Kunar main and the Pech River. The Pech
fiercely resisted. That resistance ultimately led River again splits into the Weygal and Korengal
to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region rivers and creates corresponding valleys. Over
in 2010.
time, the rugged terrain shaped the microcultures of
these valleys to become largely self-contained and
helped local populations
resist outsiders for millennia. Travel between
the valleys is possible
through various passes
over the mountains. The
historical significance of
these passes is evident
in that the majority are
named and labeled on
local maps.
The Nuristani peoples. The peoples of the
Kunar-Nuristan region
possess their own languages, but most are
without an alphabet.
They lack a written history. Therefore, to study
these peoples we must
study the historical writFigure 1. The Three River Basins of Afghanistan
ings of their more literate
Author’s own work produced as a geographic information system overlay on Google Earth, based on
3D terrain analysis of the river basins for A688 Wanat and Pech Virtual Staff Ride, December 2011.
neighbors. The sciences
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