Posted on 04/27/2008 12:39:41 PM PDT by The_Republican
For many Americans who are weary of Iraq, Afghanistan is the "good war" where the U.S. and its European allies are destroying what's left of al- Qaeda and the Taliban. That view certainly holds with the Democratic presidential candidates, who talk of adding more troops in Afghanistan next year even as they pull troops out of Iraq.
But "bad" Iraq has more in common with "good" Afghanistan than people sometimes realize. Both have evolved into classic counterinsurgencies with a "clear and hold" strategy for providing security; both show the benefits of a military surge; and both run the risk of failure because of weak and corrupt host governments.
Soon, the same U.S. commander -- Gen. David Petraeus -- will be overseeing both battlefields. If confirmed in the new post as head of Centcom, Petraeus will have to balance U.S. military needs in Iraq with those in Afghanistan. Given that Petraeus literally wrote the book on counterinsurgency for the military, his oversight should be good for both theaters.
The military surge in Afghanistan has largely gone unnoticed, in part because the U.S. commitment here is so much smaller. The 40-nation coalition force has increased to about 62,000 today from about 42,000 in 2006. The American contribution is by far the largest, with more than 30,000 troops, including a new boost of 3,200 Marines just dispatched to southern Afghanistan, the area of the toughest fighting. Last year, the U.S. spent $4.9 billion on training and equipment for the Afghan army, after spending $3.5 billion during the preceding five years combined, according to a U.S official.
"Without question, additional U.S. troops would be helpful in 2009," says Gen. Dan K. McNeill, the commander of coalition forces here.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Afgh. ping
Our troops in Afghanistan have had short shrift for years - everything way after the fact...They deserve better, damn it.
bttt
Makes me glad I did all my sandbox time in Afghanistan.
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