"US not winning battle in Afghanistan"

[attilavolciak07]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080910/...sa_pakistan_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military conceded it was not winning the battle against an increasingly deadly insurgency in Afghanistan and said on Wednesday it would revise its strategy for the region to include militant safe havens in neighboring Pakistan.

"I'm not convinced we are winning it in Afghanistan. I am convinced we can," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in sobering testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee nearly seven years after U.S.-led forces toppled Afghanistan's former Taliban regime following the September 11 attacks.
Mullen said he was already "looking at a new, more comprehensive strategy for the region" that would cover both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border

[Big War Bird]

Epic quotation fail.

[Cicero2]

is that really a surprise? We've lost both of those wars a long time ago, its just a matter of time before everyone else realizes. Unfortunately we'll spend ourselves to death before everyone else realizes it.

[Erik]

is that really a surprise? We've lost both of those wars a long time ago, its just a matter of time before everyone else realizes. Unfortunately we'll spend ourselves to death before everyone else realizes it.

Just like the Soviets.

[shadyrome]

Just like the Soviets.

What does this have to do with this thread..

[Erik]

What does this have to do with this thread..

I was replying to Cicero2's post, specifically:
"we'll spend ourselves to death"

Which was exactly what happened to the Soviets when they tried to conquer Afghanistan.

[Sven788]

is that really a surprise? We've lost both of those wars a long time ago, its just a matter of time before everyone else realizes. Unfortunately we'll spend ourselves to death before everyone else realizes it.

Nope we are going to achieve victory it only takes longer than expected.

[Cicero2]

Nope we are going to achieve victory it only takes longer than expected.

I am assuming thats a sarcastic statement, not a real one.

[dogukan]

Nope we are going to achieve victory it only takes longer than expected.

I thought you were Dutch?

[Gumpfendorfer]

I guess its a strange coincidence that stability is coinciding with the troop surge which has allowed province after province to be handed back over to the sovereignty of Iraq.

Actually the number of attacks on US troops was already going down before any of those surge troops had arrived. Petraeus saw the opening from the Sunni side and -thank god- he was smart enough to grab it.

Now I'm sighing because people are too quick to assume that the US is unable to win in Iraq, even when they are winning.

How would you define winning? Its far from over yet in Iraq. The bulk of USA troops are going to be there for quite some times. Hopefully the worst is over.

Your argument is that Al Qaeda is winning the war for the US now?Thats very kind of them

Nope its not kindness, it's the mistake Al Qaida is making time after time. Its their own ideological folly, as you do as an extremist. They reign is extremely brutal.

It got them defeated in Algeria for that reason -last leader of the GIA was a chicken farmer ordering to kill the entire population of the country.

And that brutishness lost them the control of Afghanistan within weeks. The Afghans seeing the opportunity to get rid of Al Qaida/Taleban's regime in 2001.

Al Qaida expected that a large part of the Afghans would resist. Quite the contrary happened.

In Iraq going on rampage killing icecream men for being un-Islamic makes you highly unpopular given the blistering heat Hence Al Qaida dug its own grave. And it will continue to do so.

The fact that politicians now overstate the importance of the surge has more to do with the fact that as soon as something goes well, they tend to rumble on their chest, screaming "see how smart I am." And when things go wrong they blame someone else. I mean, anyone heard some moaning about Iran lately? Not me.

[OTZ]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080910/...sa_pakistan_dc

Shocker?

No. I believe actually committing themselves to the war might be a first step towards the Americans achieving "victory." Ignoring it won't make the problem go away, especially since there are several other nations sharing the cost of this conflict.

Epic quotation fail.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Epic War Fail.

[Bleda]

No. I believe actually committing themselves to the war might be a first step towards the Americans achieving "victory." Ignoring it won't make the problem go away, especially since there are several other nations sharing the cost of this conflict.

Yup, fighting with one hand behind your back is a bad strategy. American politicians acting as prophets of defeat doesn't help the cause either.

[attilavolciak07]

Yup, fighting with one hand behind your back is a bad strategy. American politicians acting as prophets of defeat doesn't help the cause either.

Yeah, but Mullen is a general.

[Bleda]

Yeah, but Mullen is a general.

Theres a difference between saying the fight is not going well, as a good and honest general does and then there is saying the fight is not winnable by a politician looking to gain political points. Mullen is looking to win because thats his job and duty while Obama-type politicians are counting on defeat to reinforce their arguments and get elected. David Patreus said the strategy of Rumsfeld in Iraq was flawed but with a change in tactics its very winnable. So far, Petreus' new strategy has exceeded expectations and Iraq is stabilizing. Mullen will be attempting a change in tactics with similar results.

[attilavolciak07]

I am worried because Mullen said they would operate on both sides of the border, when Pakistan clearly wants no part in this.

[Carach]

problem is what was mentioned by OTZ. afghanistan's been forgotten for much of the time since the iraq 'venture'.

Doesnt help when most nato countries arent doing either.... or when pakistan is more a hinderance than help.

[attilavolciak07]

What does this have to do with this thread..

Well, civil war started in Afghanistan, Russia contributed, Taliban as well, now NATO and the US contribute, their goal? Who knows, maybe oil.

[Yorkshireman]

Well, civil war started in Afghanistan, Russia contributed, Taliban as well, now NATO and the US contribute, their goal? Who knows, maybe oil.

Afghanistan was never about oil, remember 9/11?

[Last Roman]

It's my hope, with things finally starting to turn around in Iraq, we finally pay attention to the only war that should've been fought.

[attilavolciak07]

It's my hope, with things finally starting to turn around in Iraq, we finally pay attention to the only war that should've been fought.

Yeah, why did the US bring Iraq in this mess?