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From CNN
Top US military officer says Taliban 'are not losing'
(CNN)The top US military officer said Saturday that the Taliban "are not losing" in Afghanistan, and much more needs to be done to bring peace to the war-torn country.
"They are not losing right now, I think that is fair to say," Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said of the Taliban during a discussion at a security forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. "We used the term stalemate a year ago and, relatively speaking, it has not changed much."
Dunford said that while there would never be a "military solution" on its own to bring peace to Afghanistan, the United States and its Nato partners are working to leverage military, political and economic pressure to convince the Taliban it is in their interest to negotiate a political solution to the crisis with the government in Kabul.
"Without going into detail here, we do believe the Taliban know that at some point they do have to reconcile," he said. "The key to success is to combine all that pressure to incentivize the Taliban" to negotiate.
COMMENT:-
When one side is "fighting the long war" and the other wants to quit, "not losing" (for the side that is "fighting the long war") is almost the same thing as "winning".
The US which wanted to get the Taliban out of Afghanistan now wants to negotiate its way out of Afghanistan while the Taliban wants to stay in Afghanistan. If the price for getting out of Afghanistan is letting the Taliban stay in Afghanistan, and the US pays it - who "won"?
From CNN
Top US military officer says Taliban 'are not losing'
(CNN)The top US military officer said Saturday that the Taliban "are not losing" in Afghanistan, and much more needs to be done to bring peace to the war-torn country.
"They are not losing right now, I think that is fair to say," Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said of the Taliban during a discussion at a security forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. "We used the term stalemate a year ago and, relatively speaking, it has not changed much."
Dunford said that while there would never be a "military solution" on its own to bring peace to Afghanistan, the United States and its Nato partners are working to leverage military, political and economic pressure to convince the Taliban it is in their interest to negotiate a political solution to the crisis with the government in Kabul.
"Without going into detail here, we do believe the Taliban know that at some point they do have to reconcile," he said. "The key to success is to combine all that pressure to incentivize the Taliban" to negotiate.
COMMENT:-
When one side is "fighting the long war" and the other wants to quit, "not losing" (for the side that is "fighting the long war") is almost the same thing as "winning".
The US which wanted to get the Taliban out of Afghanistan now wants to negotiate its way out of Afghanistan while the Taliban wants to stay in Afghanistan. If the price for getting out of Afghanistan is letting the Taliban stay in Afghanistan, and the US pays it - who "won"?
Have we still not learned that middle easterners would rather die than be ruled?
Have we still not learned that middle easterners would rather die than be ruled?
I think we need to seriously reassess our presence in Afghanistan but, come on dude, this is cheap Orientalism. The Taliban are widely despised in Afghanistan and are as successful as they are largely because they are backed more-or-less openly by Pakistan's military and intelligence service.
Pakistan has been playing both sides of the coin for decades, and we've fallen for it every single time, and every single time they get busted on it, we give them a pass because the alternative is far worse.
Pakistan has been playing both sides of the coin for decades, and we've fallen for it every single time, and every single time they get busted on it, we give them a pass because the alternative is far worse.
I think we need to seriously reassess our presence in Afghanistan but, come on dude, this is cheap Orientalism. The Taliban are widely despised in Afghanistan and are as successful as they are largely because they are backed more-or-less openly by Pakistan's military and intelligence service.
America fails yet again.
And I have a son over there right now....this really sucks!
From CNN
Top US military officer says Taliban 'are not losing'
(CNN)The top US military officer said Saturday that the Taliban "are not losing" in Afghanistan, and much more needs to be done to bring peace to the war-torn country.
"They are not losing right now, I think that is fair to say," Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said of the Taliban during a discussion at a security forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. "We used the term stalemate a year ago and, relatively speaking, it has not changed much."
Dunford said that while there would never be a "military solution" on its own to bring peace to Afghanistan, the United States and its Nato partners are working to leverage military, political and economic pressure to convince the Taliban it is in their interest to negotiate a political solution to the crisis with the government in Kabul.
"Without going into detail here, we do believe the Taliban know that at some point they do have to reconcile," he said. "The key to success is to combine all that pressure to incentivize the Taliban" to negotiate.
COMMENT:-
When one side is "fighting the long war" and the other wants to quit, "not losing" (for the side that is "fighting the long war") is almost the same thing as "winning".
The US which wanted to get the Taliban out of Afghanistan now wants to negotiate its way out of Afghanistan while the Taliban wants to stay in Afghanistan. If the price for getting out of Afghanistan is letting the Taliban stay in Afghanistan, and the US pays it - who "won"?
This is why conflicts since 1945 have resulted in dividing countries in half, "retreats with honor," defaulting to strongmen, or just scheming up ways to declare a victory out of a half war (Gulf War).
I wish him a safe return home! My neighbor works in Kabul and the Taliban has been crazy aggressive with their attacks. We don't hear about it much anymore in the State.
I think we need to seriously reassess our presence in Afghanistan but, come on dude, this is cheap Orientalism. The Taliban are widely despised in Afghanistan and are as successful as they are largely because they are backed more-or-less openly by Pakistan's military and intelligence service.
Compare resources
Pakistan's support to the Taliban and other groups, vs the US support of the Afghanistan government and various other groups. The success of the Taliban is far greater than just being supported by Pakistan. The Taliban have more members who are willing to fight, and potentially die for their cause than the Afghanistan government does. That region has a history of dislike for being ruled directly by outsiders, and having the US military there, makes it look like the Afghani government is controlled by outsiders.
Funny, I just assumed it was because protracted and "managed" conflicts stretching out a decade or more were much more profitable to the defense industry. Perhaps it's a bit of both?
Winning was never a declared goal. Waging the war is all that is required for the profits of the MIC. Expanding empire is all we're trying to do. It took the Soviets about 6 years to realize they could not prevail where Alexander The Great had failed. The US leadership is too stupid and compromised to understand.
Incorrect, as usual.
You are partially correct.
"Winning" was, indeed, a "declared goal".
Unfortunately there was no clear idea of what "winning" meant.
OTOH, it's nice to see Dunford recognize reality. General Nicholson, the former COM-RS Commander, was a disaster of naivite. Khalizaid, too, has been going around claiming that "the Taliban have accepted that they cannot win militarily", a statement for which I see no evidence, as that is what they are currently engaged in doing.
Hopefully General Miller really takes the gloves off, and forces everyone to focus on a single plan.
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