Winning in Afghanistan

what is wrong

usa is getting its *** kicked
lolz

and so will obama as well
and he is already has such a skinnny he will be kicked all the way to moon and michelle will have to go to retrieve him

that is if he tries any silly tricks like bush -only decency begets decency -

and american afghan policy is anything but decent

no way is america getting any cake in afghanistan ,iran or pakistan and that is for sure
inshallah

I absolutely agree with Thomas Johnson???s identification of flaws in the present US counter-terrorist strategy in Afghanistan. The security situation has alarmingly deteriorated in the country over the past couple of years and Taliban or anti government elements are much stronger today than they were previously. They are free to operate and coerce/intimidate the rural population in large areas of the country (perhaps more than the government and international forces can do it under the present arrangements). The record breaking bumper crops of opium in last two years right under the nose of 60,000 international troops and Afghan government (practically absent form rural areas) have, on one hand, fairly resolved the Taliban???s dilemma of disruption to their financial channels and on the other, seriously question the role of international forces while being in cities. With a total agreement to writer???s argument on dissimilarity of Iraq and Afghanistan, and my personal experience of the region, I think the conventional wisdom of transplanting strategy of Iraq along with General Patreus and his surge approach needs to be seriously revisited. Perhaps, US needs to make Karzai Government play a bigger role than they are playing at the moment along with de-garrisoning of international troops from cities and moving them to villages. Taking more Pushtoons (may be some moderate parts of Taliban and I guess moderates do exist) on board thorough negotiations and making a more wider-netted and harmonized government in Afghanistan may help restore the situation

I absolutely agree with Thomas Johnson???s identification of flaws in the present US counter-terrorist strategy in Afghanistan. The security situation has alarmingly deteriorated in the country over the past couple of years and Taliban or anti government elements are much stronger today than they were previously. They are free to operate and coerce/intimidate the rural population in large areas of the country (perhaps more than the government and international forces can do it under the present arrangements). The record breaking bumper crops of opium in last two years right under the nose of 60,000 international troops and Afghan government (practically absent form rural areas) have, on one hand, fairly resolved the Taliban???s dilemma of disruption to their financial channels and on the other, seriously question the role of international forces while being in cities. With a total agreement to writer???s argument on dissimilarity of Iraq and Afghanistan, and my personal experience of the region, I think the conventional wisdom of transplanting strategy of Iraq along with General Patreus and his surge approach needs to be seriously revisited. Perhaps, US needs to make Karzai Government play a bigger role than they are playing at the moment along with de-garrisoning of international troops from cities and moving them to villages. Taking more Pushtoons (may be some moderate parts of Taliban and I guess moderates do exist) on board thorough negotiations and making a more wider-netted and harmonized government in Afghanistan may help restore the situation

By force to over Afghanistan is impossible
such test has already been done
by well-armed forces of a superpower
on the contrary they lost their integrity
and now their existancy but into pieces.


eight year ago,
there is no change in the circumstances
during the period as avove-stated,the insurgency
as they described it,
has been increased and gained more power
their way of guerilla fight rural and urban areas
has afraid Nato forces
war planners are looked failed in the war game.


Now Pakistan is involved fully as a front line ally against the war ofterror
millitary opration is going on in the area called safe haven of insurgents
they are sacrificingonly for proving their loyalty friendship
inspite of having knowledge that the whole people of pakistan have not
such approach have included in the policy
regarding the fight being fought in its own trible areas.


We have reached at the end of the ecnomic destruction
and america is also coming to this fastly
as Ahmedinejad perdicted during his address
to the united nation general assembly.


Russia has gone
drom this land
passing 10 years
losing 1.05 thousand armymen
emity-handed becauise he had also believe in power
blindly use in forces but failed
the reason was that similarity with curcumstances had match.


According to the independent reilable sources
and as have seen the United states has adopted same strategy
learn no lesson from the Russian war history
in Afhganistan
and moving forward in long dark tunnal
as i am looking there is no light at the end of it.


In the very start of the war
experienced statsmaen expressed their firm opinon
which were kicked out carelessly
today they are still expressing their concerne but disregarded brutalitly.


In case,
warior president wante some good results
if warior president want peace in the reason
if warior president have desire to save america
and other nato forces
and respectfully way out
will have to involved United Nations,
Iran,
China,
and Russia in this matter
for stable solution.


Sultan Ahmed, Faisalabad,Pakistan.

I don't know about everyone else but my Marine is not with Burger Kings and massage parlors. His FOB is a village they took away from the Taliban. He is working 24/7 winning over the Afghan people. Who will say when we've won the "war"? Not sure there's a referee over there.

The author/expert do not mention that there are already Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) around the country doing the sort of local reconstruction projects (clinics, schools, micro-hydro, etc). Thse include folks with different engineering, agrcultural and civil affairs skills needed to assist the Afghans in the small communities (and the PRTs are sponsored by different NATO countries as well). They work with the provincial/local governments to decide on the projects/deciosion making process. He acts as if this is not going on at all. I think he must be suggesting that these PRTs be expanded in size/number. I am surprised that an expert would not mention a word about the PRTs in this article. The PRTs are the ones who have gone quite a way in winning over the local populations. The only flaw is that they need more. Mr. Johnsons, give credit where it is due. The only original "idea" you have is to exand the size/security of the PRTs that are already in place and that is already in the works.

A few points;
1. Want to say hi to all army people on this board. You really are heroes who deserve our respect, love and admiration.
2. Fully agree with all that has been said by Holly Garfield.
3. If we have to win just one war. this is it. While we must do everything to protect civilians, we just cannot afford to lose this war.

Now about this article. I agree that villages must be kept, not just won. Otherwise what is the purpose.

I know the border is long and pourus, but can we not create a corridor all along the border(no tresspassing allowed), and restrict traffic of people to only designated areas? Just as someone said here, what is the use of fighting these luns, when they can go accross the border for refreshments?

And the last point, US economy maybe going through a rough spot, but it is just as strong as the spirit of the American people. We can afford to stay as long as we have to. It is not for the Taliban and Alqaida types to say they'll wait it out. They can wait it out only if we let them to.

Some of the things posted here are rediculous. I truly am awed at the ignorance of those who think they know. I know i don't, and I am here every day and have been for 7 months and got 7 more to go. Come get a taste before you comment. Makes you look a little silly WINK WINK.

I do not believe, that The United States is very motivated in either Iraq or Afghanistan. The rural areas, is what make a nation. How can one 'insulate' rural areas? How can one 'insulate' urban areas? There are Afghan nationals, who live in Afghanistan, whether rural, or urban. It is an impossibility, to make a sovereign nation have 'insulated' areas.The Americans will have to make peace with all, who are in Afghanistan, and they will do well in this endeavor.

This is a first for me in agreeing with a western "expert" Prof. Johnson. The west simply cannot win in afganistan because the USA strategy is to seek & kill"; but how do you remove an ants nest by merely "seeking & killing ?'

i think bin laden is a ghost.........wink wink

The strategy needs changing. The Taliban and Osama Bin Laden supporters want the word of God to rule their nation; the United States does not. God fights for those who want Him, even if they are in error. If we wanted God's ways and standards to be the standard in our nation, there would be no war. The primary message of the Qur???an is to follow the whole Bible, not just part. We could easily undo the over-radical elements with ???It is written in the word of God.???
The US wants bars, short skirts, halter tops, high heels, alcohol, swearing, pre-marital sex, seductive or violent movies and music, condoms in school, abortion and more. Afghanistan and Pakistan leaders cannot support the US strongly without first turning away from God and that is where they lose their wisdom and protection. Jesus said, ???First take the beam out of your own eye, then shall you see clearly to take the speck out of your brother???s eye.
Taliban needs to stop the violence so foreign troops will leave their country; but if the US insists on Western values as stated above, the Taliban cannot stop. It is written in all holy books to fight evil, and establish good."
We can only surely win with repentance, forgiveness, and turning to God's ways in truth.

One more thing, we as a country will never win the support of the everyday people in a country like Afghanistan until we can show them that we are not "THE GREAT SATAN". As long as we have such issues as peolpe who will vote against a presidential candidate just because of the color of his skin, how can we expect people in the same region where history shows brown-skinned people to have spread out to the rest of the world to trust us? We can't and they won't. America has gone into Iraq and rewritten their constitution in order for our special interest oil companies to conduct business there. The peoples of Afghanistan can look at that fact and rightfully say that we cannot be trusted to hold their best interest in mind. They want us dead because (to their minds) we are intent on destroying their culture and way of life. Considering the fact that European nations have been invading, conquering and destroying people in that region of the world for centuries, it is beyond arrogant for us not to think that they just might think that they are fighting for thier very survival. Don't get me wrong, I don't support anyone who thinks its right to kill for religious or political economic gain. I was building a water treatment facility in Rockdale Co., Ga on 9/11 and I was/am as outraged as everyone else. I'm merely trying to point out that a nation that is founded on giving syphillis in blankets to the original inhabitants of this land and turning fire hoses, sicking dogs on, and ultimately killing a man who only who only asked for the rights contained within our constitution to stop being withheld from his people because of their color is not going to help in trying to form relations with a people who already have no trust for us as a nation.

Well, well, well, now that America has (as of yesterday) reached its true objective in Iraq ( Alternet.com THE GREAT IRAQI OIL GRAB, posted 5-22-06), are we now planning to turn our attention back to the "war on terrorism? Its a real shame that soo many brave Americans had to die in order for foriegn comapnies to be able to again have oil interests in Iraq. The sad part is that the majority of us Americans will neversee a penny of what soo many of our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters have died for. Sure, we will add to Shell's profits (and all of the other companies that are soon to open up shop there) by our needs at the pump, but that won't empty any of the cemetaries filled with our loved ones. We have known since day one that the taliban has been operating out of Afghanistan, yet we still pursued Iraq. Why ? Was it so that Companies like Shell, who have been banned from Iraq since 1972 (seven years before Saddam, who came to power on 7-16-79) could go back and increase the wealth of a select few (who currently have our economy in the toilet) and further the agenda of our current president (who will return to his family's oil business next year no matter who wins the election)? One thing that peolpe seem to have forgotten is that one of the major contributors to the fall of the " Iron Curtain" that was Russia was their war in Afghanistan, which,at that time, we were one of the major suppliers of weapons and training to the same people we are trying soo hard to kill today. What makes us think today that a similiar war on our part won't be backed by those we consider our foes and produce a similiar effect on our economy?

The Soviet Union was defeated by the Afghan opposition after ten years of fighting and 15 thousand dead soldiers. It appears that the American and NATO forces are following the same destiny. The quetion that should be asked is how could we turn a Soviet defeat into an American win?
The answer to this question is what Thomas Johnson is suggesting. The war cannot be won without winning the minds and hearts of the country folks. The strength of the Taliban lies in their control of the tribal leaders and the country folks beliefs and traditions. Twemty-first century wars cannot be won with 19th and 20th centuries military tactics. Bombing the bejesus out of people, may work in the short run, but in the long run it does not. It seems that an strategy to win the minds and hearts of the people is in order. twentieth century military tactics have to be traded for twenty-first century cultural persuation. So our generals need to study
the customs, traditions and cultural values of the people to be conquered. Sending the general and the preachers is old fachion. It no longer works.