10 Years On - Even The Military Want Out
In military circles a feeling now exists that the presence of Nato forces is no longer a solution but a main part of the problem. For many commanders, 2014 – when the vast majority of the 150,000 or so foreign soldiers will leave the country – cannot come quickly enough.
The reasons for the downturn are many, but one common factor seems to have been a failure to fully understand the Afghan mindset. There was also a loss of nerve at the moment of victory at the end of 2001 and an onset of confidence bordering on arrogance. No sooner had the Taliban been ousted and a sense of normality had returned to Kabul – remember the images of children flying kites and women exposing their faces? – than the US and UK decided to invade Iraq in 2003.
That disastrous operation to oust President Saddam Hussein was not just illegal but it swallowed up military assets just as they were so badly needed in Afghanistan. It also upset the Islamic world: as McChrystal admits, the invasion of Iraq “changed the Muslim world’s view of America’s effort”. Read More.
NATO's presence is part of Afghanistan's instability and its absence will contribute to instability. The U.S. wanted to get the bulk of the fighting over before NATO countries started dropping out between 2012-2013. Then the U.S. will be isolated with Afghan forces, and you get a larger, longer version of Iraq's "end game."
ReplyDeleteWhich degree of Instability will prevail.
ReplyDeleteIt must be their instability, not ours.
They have figured it out in the past.
They will do so again.
Mc Chrystal is wrong again.
The Muslim world knew all along what America's "effort" was.
The problem was not their view, it was our view of our own efforts.
The Iraqi people and the Muslim world will speak of our "effort" for generations to come.