| US general warns of Afghan failure | |||
The most senior US and Nato commander in Afghanistan has said the war against the Taliban "will likely result in failure" if more troops are not sent and a new strategy developed. General Stanley McChrystal said in a leaked report obtained by the Washington Post that, despite some progress, "many indicators suggest the overall effort is deteriorating". Inability to provide adequate resources "also risks a longer conflict, greater casualties, higher overall costs, and ultimately, a critical loss of political support" he said, according to the Post report published on Monday. "Any of these risks, in turn, are likely to result in mission failure." 'Government corruption' His said in his assessment that Taliban fighters controlled entire sections of the country. He also criticised the Afghan government for failing the public and said it was riddled by corruption. "The weakness of state institutions, malign actions of power-brokers, widespread corruption and abuse of power by various officials, and Isaf's own errors, have given Afghans little reason to support their government," McChrystal wrote. He called for an "urgent need for significant change in our strategy" in Afghanistan, saying the US needs to interact better with the Afghan people and better organise its efforts with Nato. "Our objective must be the population. The objective is the will of the people, our conventional warfare culture is part of the problem, the Afghans must ultimately defeat the insurgency," he wrote. Waning support The 66-page report, which was confirmed as being genuine by McChrystal's spokesman in Kabul, was sent to Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, in August, and is being reviewed by US President Barack Obama. McChrystal is expected to ask for a troop increase in the coming weeks, with reports he may request up to 30,000 new combat troops and trainers. But a request for extra soldiers faces resistance from within Obama's Democratic party and some Republicans, while opinion polls also show public support for the war is waning. A recent CNN/Opinion Research poll showed about 58 per cent of Americans oppose the Afghan war, while 39 per cent support it. The number of US troops in Afghanistan has almost doubled this year from 32,000 to 62,000 and is expected to grow by another 6,000 by the end of 2009. Related: Report: US general calls for more troops in AfghanistanCNN - 3 hours ago WASHINGTON (CNN) -- America's top commander in Afghanistan warns that more troops are needed there within the next year or the nearly 8-year-old war "will likely result in failure," according to a copy of a 66-page document obtained by The Washington ... More troops or 'failure': US commander in Afghanistan Christian Science Monitor Times Online - The Associated Press - guardian.co.uk - CBS News Obama 'skeptical' about more troopsPolitico - - Sep 20, 2009 President Barack Obama is warning US commanders that he's "skeptical" about whether more troops will make a ... Obama, Vietnam and AfghanistanAtlanta Journal Constitution - 27 minutes ago One trait in a good leader is the ability to change course on the basis of new information. President Obama seems in the midst of just such a re-adjustment ... Changes Have Obama Rethinking War StrategyCBS News - - 1 hour ago The implicit recommendation of General McChrystal in his latest assessment of the situation in Afghanistan is that the United States and its NATO partners ... The Afghanistan problem gets more difficultAtlanta Journal Constitution - 1 hour ago From the beginning eight years ago, the United States has failed to commit the resources and attention needed in Afghanistan. Barack Obama campaigned on ... Analysis: the flaws in General McChrystal's strategyTimes Online - - 2 hours ago More troops might stop Nato failing in Afghanistan, but they certainly won't guarantee victory. General Stanley McChrystal's new counterinsurgency plan relies on seizing the initiative and reversing "insurgent momentum," which has seen violence spread ... |
__._,_.___
