U.S. Needs to Redefine Afghan Fight , Top Commander Says

American Forces Press Service ^ | Fred W. Baker III

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2009 – The war in Afghanistan can be won if forces there change the way they fight, the top military commander on the ground said today.

“We must operate and think in a fundamentally new way,” Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal said in a speech at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank.

In his first speech since submitting his recent assessment on the situation in Afghanistan, the general said that the fight needs to be redefined -- more focused on earning the trust of the Afghan people and less on chasing out the Taliban.

McChrystal called the situation in Afghanistan “serious,” and said that in some ways it is deteriorating. He also said that violence is up, not only because there are more troops on the ground, but also because the insurgency has grown.

At the same time, McChrystal said, he can point to progress, such as in road construction, healthcare and education.

The general said time is critical, and that the war will not “remain winnable indefinitely.” But it is not simply a matter of applying more force to the complex fight, he said. In fact, more is not necessarily better.

“We can’t succeed by simply trying harder. We cannot drop three more bombs and have a greater effect; it is much more subtle than that,” McChrystal said.

The Afghan people must be protected from all threats, he said. To do that, forces must be out, connected with the people. The Taliban many times rule, not because they are wanted, but because they offer protection and rule of law to the villagers.

“Villagers are supremely rational and practical people,” McChrystal said. “They make the decision on who they will support, based upon who can protect them and provide for them the things they need.”

Coalition forces also need to concentrate on areas that are most threatened, he said.

The commander called for faster growth of the Afghan security forces, both the Army and the police. The government also must increase its capacity, and corrupt officials need to be rooted out.

NATO forces must partner more closely with the Afghan forces, living, planning and fighting alongside each other, he said. And coalition forces must be more aware of their actions and their impact on the locals. If coalition forces are too aggressive in their quest to stamp out the Taliban, and end up killing locals or destroying their property, it counteracts their efforts.

“We say, ‘We are here for you. We respect and want to protect you’, and then we destroy their home, kill their relatives, destroy their crops,” McChrystal said. “It’s difficult for them to connect those two.”

Many times, even good intentions have the opposite effect that coalition forces expect, he said.

“Everything that you do is part of a complex system with expected outcomes and unexpected outcomes, desired outcomes and undesired outcomes, and outcomes that you never even know about,” McChrystal said. “In my experience, I have found that the best answers and approaches may be counterintuitive; i.e. the opposite of what it seems like you ought to do is what ought to be done.”

For example, blame is sometimes assigned to coalition forces if a bomb emplaced by the Taliban explodes and kills locals. If the coalition forces weren’t there, the bomb wouldn’t have been there, is the logic, McChrystal said.

“Sometimes, the things which are the most horrific done by the insurgents still reinforce to the Afghan people a decision that coalition forces are either ineffective, or at least not in their interest,” he said.

McChrystal said the stakes are high for security in Afghanistan, and that a loss of stability there brings a huge risk that al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups will return to operate there.

McChrystal acknowledged that most of his ideas are not new, but that they need to be implemented more aggressively and effectively. Problems there have stemmed from an under-resourced fight that, in some areas, has resulted a degraded performance. It took the coalition too long to recognize the seriousness of the insurgency, he said.

Efforts there still do not have enough expertise, continuity, or enough language-trained people, McChrystal added, .

To succeed there, he said, forces need patience, discipline, resolve and time. He warned against viewing the counterinsurgency fight through a conventional warfare lens.

“Our societies want to see lines on a map and they want to see those lines move forward towards objectives, and you’re not going to see that in a counterinsurgency because you don’t see what’s happening in people’s minds as clearly,” McChrystal said. “So we’re going to have to do things dramatically differently, even uncomfortably differently, to change how we think and operate.”

[SandRat]

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[Mmogamer]

He can point to anything he wants; as soon as the taliban takes back over won’t mean a thing..gonna be lots of blood on Dem’s hands... mostly womens...

[MaxMax]

They'll blame Bush, but it won't work because of the ROE placed on our finest
by the detestable OF-Nbama administration.

Maybe they could call the war a square dance..

[BilLies]

The Son of OBama reminds me a Mickey Rooney movie where someone shouts “LET'S PUT ON A SHOW” and everyone know the shouter does not have a clue about anything but cheer leading the program.
By the way was Obama a cheerleader during his educational stint?

[Monkey Face]

Since my grandson is fighting overseas, I really resent the rumors from Obannas’ minions that Afghanistan is a “NATO problem.” What? Are the blue helmets going to smooth things over, cover up the graves, bribe the locals and tell the country there is nothing to worry about?

Do NOT get me started on THIS subject! My grandson is NOT disposable!!

[brushcop]

You have friends here Monkey Face, our son has been serving for going on 12 yrs, two long deployments to Iraq, combat Infantryman. We link up to others we have known for years, PVTs, NCOs, LTs., CPTs, Majors, all vets.

None of these remarkable people are disposable, we must stay strong for them, watch their backs HERE while they are over THERE. Engage every liberal and RINO, tell them what you think without compromise, get close to them so that they don’t misunderstand your passion and anger towards them and their cowardice.

Prayers for your priceless grandson, always, for his perseverence, morale and protection, for VICTORY in the mission.

We know soldiers/Marines that have served in Iraq on mulitple deployments and now find themselves headed for Afghanistan, our prayer list is long and believe me, tear stained, our nights basically sleepless but by God, if they can put up with that, we’ll put up with the tiny discomfort that we experience.

[SandRat]

Asking Divine Protection for Those In Service

O God, I beseech You, watch over those exposed to the horror of war,
and the spiritual dangers of a soldier’s or sailor’s life.

Give them such a strong faith that no human respect may ever lead them to deny it,
nor fear ever to practice it.
By Your grace, O God,
fortify them against the contagion of bad example,
that being preserved from vice,
and serving You faithfully,
they may be ready to meet you face to face when they are so called:
through Christ our Lord.
Amen

[Monkey Face]

I’m a military wife, mother, widow and grandmother, and I’m so proud of my grandson I can’t even speak about it.

He is proud of his commitment to duty, honor and country, and as often as I can, I remind him that he is loved and revered, but not just by me.

He has a wife who waits for him, as well as a mom and a Gramma. I know what courage is, as I waited for a sailor during the Viet Nam war, and survived skirmishes with both my children serving, one in the army, one in the navy.

Now, I try my best to keep him safe with my prayers.

[Monkey Face]

Thanks for that...it is one of my favorite pics!

*hugs*

[SandRat]

That’s why I sent you the Prayer

[Monkey Face]

And thanks to you for your thoughtfulness. My Knight is in a Stryker Brigade, and they lost a man not too long ago.

My grandson is my heart.

[Monkey Face]

You ROCK, Sandy!!

Thanks so much for all you do for my grandson and his compatriots around the world!

[Wild Irish Rogue]

There’s something a tad too pollyannish
and naive about McChrystal’s vision, IMHO.
And it seems like McChrystal is more critical of the NATO and American forces than the Taliban.

[M Kehoe]

Why, every time a democRAT gets into office, I have to say or post this statement: The sole job of the military is to kill people and break things?

Sheesh.

5.56mm

[SandRat]

Thank You just trying to continue Serving as best I can and did for 20+ years in the Army.

[Freddd]

‘redefine’.....well wouldn’t ya know, that’s what Obama’s the best at...’changing’ words.....terrorist to man made disasters........lol

[Monkey Face]

“They also serve who only stand and wait.”

I don’t recall where that came from, but I know that waiting and praying is half the battle.

Thanks for all you have done in the past to serve America, and for all you are doing now.

*HUGS*

[SandRat]

[Monkey Face]

Same to ya!!!

(If I knew how to do icons...)