By the standards of the US military, it's a stunning admission but not a surprising one. The head of the US Cental Command, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, said that Afghanistan can still be won but doubling down isn't going to be enough to "win the hearts and minds" of the Afghan people and the next twelve months will decide if the war can be won. Even more disturbing, as WaPo's legendary investigative reporter Bob Woodward points out, is that there are now not just one but three different rebel factions that are battling NATO and they definitely have the upper hand -- and the Taliban is just one of them.
The report, even heavily redacted as it is, is sobering reading. If only our military leaders in Canada were so frank -- or if they are behind closed doors, Harper is doing a good job of stifling the public dissent. Having a healthy debate is not unpatriotic or showing a lack of support for our troops. It's making sure that our troops actually have the resources to get the job done and to be successful.
We need success, but if we're not going to make sure the resources are there then there is no point at all in the exercise and the troops should come home.
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2 comments:
"We need success..."
Define success? There is none in Afghanistan & never will be. All it is is the western world trying to impose their culture & so-called "democracy" on a country of a totally different culture. It's a lost cause & this conflict is being perpetrated for all the wrong reasons - greed, oil (pipeline), money. All based on lies.
Success would be a stable government in effective control of the country, a grip on the drug problem, firm equal rights for women, and no save haven for any terrorists or milita groups. Zero on all four of these -- and on top of that, a blatantly rigged election. That's what we're fighting for?
Michael Moore was right, it was all about the pipeline (although in this case, I think it was natural gas, not oil).
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