2011 the Latest ‘Make-Or-Break’ Year for Afghan War

After Failed 2010, Another Year of Disappointments Looms

by Jason Ditz, December 31, 2010

In December 2009, when President Obama announced his massive escalation of the war in Afghanistan, most agreed it came with a 12 month timetable to show meaningful progress, and throughout early 2010 the year was described as a “make-or-break” year.

12 months of record death tolls and record violence later, 2010 was nothing if not a “break” year, and now the administration is cheerfully spinning the calamity as “progress.” So now, 2011 is the make-or-break year.

Which, according to NATO General Joseph Blotz, is going to be another year of disappointment. Not having convinced anybody of the claims of “progress” yet, officials are already predicting even worse violence.

Pointing to the myth of the “make-or-break” year, which seems to be more about distracting the public from a history of failures and focused on some fictional date just over the horizon. Nearly 10 years into the occupation, officials have not only formalized that the war is going to continue beyond 2014, but have mocked the suggestion that the American public’s opposition to the war could ever actually end it. It seems then that no matter how bad 2011 gets, when the year comes to an end officials will be setting up 2012 as the new make-or-break year.

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