Comments on: Beating Al Qaeda But Losing in Afghanistan? http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/beating_al_qaeda_but_losing_in_afghanistan_/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:53:54 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: steve http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/beating_al_qaeda_but_losing_in_afghanistan_/comment-page-1/#comment-867561 steve Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:25:33 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/?p=31040#comment-867561 The same is true of Iraq. We needed realistic goals. Iraq is not going to be a pro-western democratic ally. Leaving a relatively stable country behind is the best we can really hope for. Steve The same is true of Iraq. We needed realistic goals. Iraq is not going to be a pro-western democratic ally. Leaving a relatively stable country behind is the best we can really hope for.

Steve

]]> By: mike http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/beating_al_qaeda_but_losing_in_afghanistan_/comment-page-1/#comment-865897 mike Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:31:30 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/?p=31040#comment-865897 does it take a lot of leadership to carry out these low-level attacks? I am worried that we are just playing a numbers game like the body counts that were so popular in Vietnam. does it take a lot of leadership to carry out these low-level attacks? I am worried that we are just playing a numbers game like the body counts that were so popular in Vietnam.

]]> By: mannning http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/beating_al_qaeda_but_losing_in_afghanistan_/comment-page-1/#comment-865495 mannning Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:59:02 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/?p=31040#comment-865495 Seems to me that we must continue to target OBL, AQ in general, and the TALIBAN with our intel and predators, and even step it up a notch to include many lesser leaders in those organizations. We do need to hold the line we have made so far, for a while longer, to let the Predators work and some aid to take effect in the provinces under our control. We may never defeat the TALIBAN completely, but we can, with a resurgent Afghanistan army, extend our control to a radiating group of provinces centered on Kabul, while leaving the mountain fastnesses alone. If we make this core set of provinces reasonably secure and more viable economically, we have a chance to leave with some hope that the core will survive, and with a hope that it would grow, province by province. The nub of the problem, though, is economics. How we could possibly turn the core provinces into an economic success is beyond me. How we could change poppy fields into crops with a decent payoff is not clear either. All of which leaves me with a negative feeling about sending more troops into this land of rocks. Certainly not to have them stray too far beyond our current lines or core areas in an attempt to win and hold more territory. Or to defeat the TALIBAN in pitched battles in the far reaches of the country, should they be so dumb as to engage us, since we do not have the troops to hold what we win. Seems to me that we must continue to target OBL, AQ in general, and the TALIBAN with our intel and predators, and even step it up a notch to include many lesser leaders in those organizations.

We do need to hold the line we have made so far, for a while longer, to let the Predators work and some aid to take effect in the provinces under our control.

We may never defeat the TALIBAN completely, but we can, with a resurgent Afghanistan army, extend our control to a radiating group of provinces centered on Kabul, while leaving the mountain fastnesses alone.

If we make this core set of provinces reasonably secure and more viable economically, we have a chance to leave with some hope that the core will survive, and with a hope that it would grow, province by province.

The nub of the problem, though, is economics. How we could possibly turn the core provinces into an economic success is beyond me. How we could change poppy fields into crops with a decent payoff is not clear either.

All of which leaves me with a negative feeling about sending more troops into this land of rocks. Certainly not to have them stray too far beyond our current lines or core areas in an attempt to win and hold more territory. Or to defeat the TALIBAN in pitched battles in the far reaches of the country, should they be so dumb as to engage us, since we do not have the troops to hold what we win.

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