The latest reassessment of the war in Afghanistan by the new commander, General Stanley McChrystal, is cause for sobering thought---if no real surprises. It has been apparent for some time that we are fighting a war with one hand tied behind our back with an elusive enemy that ducks back into a safe zone in Pakistan when the heat gets extreme and patiently waits its turn to strike back. Escalation of number of troops will be the next step. And the beat goes on…
I think General McChrystal is right in trying to limit civilian casualties and in seeking to “democratize” the people, but who are we kidding: so long as war lords hold sway and money is coined from the opium trade, we are always going to be limited in our success.
Several analysts here in Britain---and now add the name of the Foreign Secretary David Miliband---are pushing for trying to win over some of the local chieftains and war lords to cause a split in the Taliban’s efforts. This pragmatic approach of making deals with the local boys to create splits in the Taliban makes sense; it’s the old cliché: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Personally, I would enjoy seeing the Taliban fight among themselves. It’s worth checking out.
I fear another un-winnable quagmire. My take on Thurs.
ReplyDelete