Gen. Allen: Pakistan a ‘Threat’ in Terror War

Claims Progress in War But Also Predicts Impending Doom

Speaking to Congress, top US commander in Afghanistan Gen. John Allen insisted that troops were making major progress and had taken the momentum away from the Taliban across the nation’s south.

Inevitably, Allen’s promises of success were followed up with predictions of impending doom, warning that the Pakistani government’s failure to secure the border with Afghanistan that “chances are very good” that more Afghan troops would need to be sent south.

Allen went on to say that Pakistan was allowing al-Qaeda leaders to operate with impunity, and that other factions are able to cross the border into Afghanistan every day to launch attacks. He also insisted that Iran “supports the insurgency.

Allen’s testimony typifies that of military leadership whenever it addresses Congress, offering vague promises of progress and following it up with myriad reasons that the war is going poorly and no drawdowns can be considered. Allen ended his testimony by insisting that no drawdown could be considered until after the election.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.