In the latest effort to provide some sort of evidence for their repeated claims of progress in the endless Afghan War, General David Petraeus today put forth a deal with tribal elders in a tiny village in Sangin District as all the evidence he needed.
According to Petraeus this deal, which didn’t actually involve the Taliban but instead an agreement by some tribal elders to try to keep the Taliban out of their village in return for US aid projects, “proves” that the Taliban are weak.
Petraeus went on to cite a claim by another NATO General, Josef Blotz, that the violence would continue throughout the winter and even intensify, as something that was probably annoying a number of Taliban fighters, who are used to having the winters off.
The flimsy evidence aside, Gen. Petraeus appeared to make no attempt to explain away the NATO report that emerged last week estimating the Taliban forces at 25,000, the exact same size they were before the US escalations.
Another blogger who does not know anything about COIN, the history of Afghanistan, or metrics trying to denigrate General Petraeus and the President. How original.
There is plenty of evidence the US is failing in Afghanistan. Just look at the casualty reports from the DOD from Friday, Jan. 7 when four US soldiers were reported killed. Two were killed by a combination of an IED and small arms fire in Logar. One soldier died in Kandahar and another was the fifty first US soldier to die in Helmand province since Sept. 1, 2010. Two more soldiers died on Saturday in Nangahar from an IED attack.
The problem is not a lack of evidence that the US mission in Afghanistan is an abject failure. The problem is the failure of the media, including alternative sites like AntiWar, to report consistently on the huge number of casualties being suffered proportionately by US forces engaged in combat in Afghanistan. The first step in ending this insane war is to reveal to the American public how the US is suffering horrendous casualties in a war of no purpose, and no end point. Hopefully some day AntiWar will stop pussy footing around and start giving the hard facts of the daily grind of combat.
Until then it will remain hidden in obscurity.
You are so right.
US and their Allies have clearly lost this war. They have lost the hearts and minds of the people. Their forces along with the mercenaries they emply have committed genocide on a scale parallel with the Nazi's at Abu Gharaib, Guantanamo, hidden prisons in Afghanistan and reditions. The muslims are awake to this. They also know US is weak and has no money or will to fight. After all what are their troops fighting for? Afghanistan didnt attack the USA. yet its the poor Afghans on the ground that get bombed by so called heros sitting at 30,000ft in a jet fighter. When the taliban get them back with classic gurella tacktic they call them cowards. When the US troops hide and ambush the Taliban they call it strategy. Its a well known fact that teh west speaks with two tongues. Afghans have never lost in their entire history. I say to the USA welcome to the losing club. What was your fight for? Mr George Bush?
If the media did care about USA troops and our country–they'd spend more time talking/ showing the ruined lives of the returning wounded Vets.
tom,
one would think though, that the only way to dislodge the Taliban, would result in more US troop deaths, but most reports still show, civilian casualties are getting lower and lower, and the US tries very hard to not have any.
As for the number of Taliban at 25,000, I don't know why that is important. We are not trying to eliminate the taliban, but shove them aside, or let them back in, depending on if they will stop killing people and dealing drugs.
Remember too, most Afghans still want us there, and only a few actually want the Taliban.
",,most Afghans still want us there,"
What makes you say that Russ? Sources???
Hi, Hope this is not too late.
http://www.langerresearch.com/uploads/1116a1Afgha…
62% Support US troops in their country.
Yes, Petreus, keep telling yourself that and, eventually, it will become true. Or not. But for as long as you believe it, that's all that matters.
What facts do anti afghan war people have that the war is not going better? The taliban are more interested in peace, and some are joining their rightful government.
Yeah, go for it, Petraeus- ever fought a war in an Afghan winter? Get up in those hills and mountains and see how much 'progress' you'll be making. You can get back to me with the figure on how many planeloads of body bags you're needing.
You might try googling the term "Fool's Errand" while you're at it.
Response from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Web site.
Remarks of the Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Regarding the Rumors of Ceasefire in
http://www.shahamat.info/english/index.php?option…