Friday, November 14, 2008

Afghanistan Update

It isn't going well.

The security situation is a mess and is getting worse. The Taliban are spreading into more territory, and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) doesn’t have enough troops on the ground to stop them. “You win counter-insurgency locally,” said one man in a position to know. But we don’t have enough soldiers to hold territory once the Taliban are pushed out. Too few soldiers means an over-reliance on air power – which inevitably leads to civilian casualties, more resentment, and an intensified insurgency.

And there isn't much we're able -- never mind willing -- to do about it.

Is anyone else seeing the pattern? The one where everything that American foreign policy has touched in the last decade or so turns completely to shit? Does anyone seriously believe that Obama's strategy of sending too few troops to Afghanistan, far too late, is going to reverse that trend?

It's time for Canada to stop holding the American coat. It's beneath us, and it's far too costly.

2 comments:

thwap said...

Exactly.

Note wv: "drysinkt"

Lindsay Stewart said...

hear hear, nato and the coalition shit the bed in afghanistan long ago. throwing another blanket on top won't be much help at this late hour.