“...Soufan: Absolutely. Afghanistan is a tribal country in so many different regions, with different ethnic groups. Most Afghanis didn’t trust the government because of corruption. When they had a problem, they didn’t go to the government. They went to the jirga and they went to the elders to solve a lot of these issues. That is an opportunity that we missed. We would have needed a policy based on the culture of the place, based on the culture in Kabul and the culture in Herat, the culture in Mazar-e-Sharif, but not based on the culture of Washington. I think this was one of the biggest problems...”
I agree, and it's because the culture of DC has been shaped by a pedigree that assumes that the hierarchy of academics means something. It doesn't. At all. You can't predict by 'pedigree' who is the best person for any job - particularly one that requires thinking outside the box and beyond what is in textbooks or Ted talks.
One of the best ways to increase the intrinsic real world knowledge and effective world approach in DC is to put in place a moratorium on any appointments or hires of those from the Ivy League, or other 'top tier' university background. I am entirely serious.
Afghanistan is a tribal country
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This seems to be a little remarked point about the hundreds of thousands of imported Afghanis the Joek is bringing into the US unvetted. Many of them are likely from tribes that fight each other - now instead of doing the fighting there they will be doing their fighting here ... and you thought the murder rate was through the roof and crime could not get much worse ...