Troop surge?
 

We saw a great deal of improvement in Iraq under Bush's surge. So hows it goign for Obama's surge in Afghanistan?

CNN) -- The insurgency in Afghanistan is gaining strength and new recruits in areas where the Taliban has not previously been prominent, according to a new report from the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO) in Kabul.

In the third quarter of this year, it says, armed attacks by insurgents were 59 percent higher than in the same period of 2009.

The gloomy assessment of the security situation says some districts in northern provinces are in danger of slipping beyond control, and it describes efforts to form local militias in opposition to the Taliban as "clumsy."

It recommends that nongovernmental organizations engage with insurgent groups rather than avoid them.

There is evidence that insurgents are ready to accommodate nongovernmental organizations, according to the report.

The ANSO director, Nic Lee, writes that counterinsurgency efforts in Kandahar and Marjah in the south "have failed to degrade [insurgents'] ability to fight, reduce the number of civilian combat fatalities or deliver boxed government."

IMHO, the main difference is the terrain. In Iraq we could use
our armament and fight with the advantage.
Afghanistan's terrain is not armament friendly and we are at
a disadvantage unless it is fought by special ops.
Our original purpose in going there was to knock out Taliban/ Alqueda
training camps. We should get out and fight them to our advantage
by using special ops and drones to hit new training camps and headquarters.
Nothing to gain by staying and loosing more of our young service men
and women.

Soviets got their a$$es kicked without following any rules. Afghans are tough and the terrain is tougher, how do you think we will fare by following a set of rules of engagement?

I'm not sure of who you remind me of more...Harry Reid or Peter Arnett.

-spence

Excellent commentary! :smash:

Yup, they were in there for 11 years with hands un-tied and no holds barred
for 11 years. We are approachhing 10 years within rules of engagement
and hands tied.

We are also so de-unified from the top down that they just need to wait us out.

Bunch of effing pussiez. Either do what you say you were going to do to support your troops or bring them home. Another colossal fuster-cluck by slimey azzed politicians talking at both sides of their mouths.

This country is D O O M E D unless there is a major effing change.

(Yes, I'm pissed. No, I haven't started drinking, but I'm thinking about starting)

Totally in agreement

not drinking yet either.

Going to pour one in 10 minutes though ;) - Looks like White Russian time ;)

I am out of Ruskova

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/wo...r.html?_r=1&hp

maybe all is not lost although I think they'll never have a working democracy.

The article says the Afhgans think if we take Kandahar and make it a peaceful place
you will have a peaceful Afghanistan.
General Carter says, "I think only time will tell."

Meantime many of the Taliban are hiding their weapons and going
into Pakistan. How long will it be before they come back? We can't stay there
forever.

There will never be a Democracy there as these are a tribal people and
each of the many tribes have their own idea of how they want to live.

I see nothing more to be gained by us at this point.