US Commander: More Embedded Troops Will Break Afghan Stalemate

General Says He Sees 'Positive Trend'

Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of Central Command, expressed confidence at the ongoing US escalation in Afghanistan, saying he is “seeing some positive trends” in the war, and thinks the US is on the right track, some 16 years into the war.

Votel cited the increased number of US troops embedded with Afghan forces, nominally as “advisers,” as an important part of the move to “break the stalemate” in Afghanistan, which he was confident would happen.

The “stalemate” conceit is something Pentagon officials have claimed for a long time, explaining that the war isn’t being won because it’s in a stalemate. In reality, US-backed forces have been losing ground for years, and hold less territory than at any time since the 2001 invasion.

President Trump announced an escalation of the war in recent months, announcing the US would send more ground troops into the country. Exact numbers have become a secret, per Trump’s orders, but several thousand more US troops have arrived, and indications are that more will continue to come.

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.