US commander for the Afghan War Gen. John Campbell today told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he has presented “options” to President Obama on backing away from the previous plan to drawdown US ground troops in Afghanistan from 10,000 to 1,000 after 2016, keeping more troops in the area for even longer.
Gen. Campbell cited “conditions on the ground,” including a growing ISIS presence in Afghanistan and an upsurge in violence nationwide. He did not detail exactly how many troops he was recommending in the new plan, but it was clear it was more.
Campbell went on to say that many “disaffected” Taliban had joined ISIS, and that there were now 1,000 to 3,000 ISIS active in Afghanistan, and that their growth in the country has become a “top priority” for the war in the country.
That’s a huge amount of growth for ISIS, which wasn’t even really believed to be operational in Afghanistan yet just a few months prior, and is now a formidable force in its own right.
He went on to discuss the recent loss of the northern city of Kunduz to the Taliban, saying both the Afghan government and the US-led coalition “were surprised” when the Taliban was able to overrun the important city.
Let's ask the American people how they feel about that, General.
Why? Do we the people have any say in this….
not really. But sometimes, when the time flux continuum is aligned perfectly, and the screeching from the unwashed masses is especially loud and cacophonous, those who usually ignore us might react and do something right in response.
Tell 'The Commander' to go F–k himself!!
This s**t is getting old.
Will Afghanisan ever become peaceful? The Talibandits controlled much of the country by right of extreme violence and depravity, but at least in 2001 they were the stabilizing force. Seemed to me that we could've gotten Osama handed over and eased them into modernity with bribes and offers of developmental investment in exchange for modernizing their governance, but now I don't know what can be done.
I'm no expert on the country, but afaik he Pushtu seem determined to keep the Talibandit movement going, possibly the result of the Northern Alliance likely being as equally depraved, but of a different ethnicity. What is Pakistan's angle? Are they on the same page or are they undercutting us?
Why can't all the major powers of the world come together and forge a a decisive plan for the country? Where are our interests being served by unilaterally squatting in that country and achieving no success??