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US General in Afghanistan: From 2011 to 2016, ‘The Enemy Believed … We Had Lost Our Will’
CNS News ^ | 11/21/2017 | Patrick Goodenough

Posted on 11/22/2017 9:51:03 AM PST by ForYourChildren

Five years of “telegraphing” to the Taliban that U.S. and coalition forces were leaving Afghanistan prompted the enemy to believe “we had lost our will,” the top U.S. military officer leading the campaign there said Monday.

But a recent NATO defense ministers’ gathering, said Operation Resolute Support commander U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson, had given him a real sense that “we now have the will to succeed.”

Three months into President Trump’s new South Asia strategy, Nicholson briefed reporters by teleconference on how forces battling the Taliban are focusing on targeting the terrorist group’s main funding source – drugs.

He also spoke of how encouraged he was at the NATO ministerial in Brussels this month to hear two dozen nations signaling potential troop increases.

“Almost to a minister we heard very strong shows of support for the mission.”

Nicholson said that as the mission’s commander, “number one, I’m concerned about international will, and international will to succeed.”

“War is a contest of wills,” he continued. “And from 2011 to 2016, we telegraphed to the enemy that we were leaving. We drew down our forces steadily – I’d say too far and too fast – and so the enemy believed that in this contest of wills, we had lost our will.”

But at that NATO ministerial, he said, what came across to him “loud and clear” was that “we now have the will to succeed.”

{..snip..}

(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cic; islam; war

1 posted on 11/22/2017 9:51:03 AM PST by ForYourChildren
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To: ForYourChildren

Hmmm.. who was CIC during that time period?


2 posted on 11/22/2017 9:51:24 AM PST by ForYourChildren (Christian Education [ RomanRoadsMedia.com - Classical Christian Approach to Homeschool ])
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To: ForYourChildren

But now, it is..

WINNING!!


3 posted on 11/22/2017 9:51:40 AM PST by ForYourChildren (Christian Education [ RomanRoadsMedia.com - Classical Christian Approach to Homeschool ])
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To: ForYourChildren

Vietnam redux.


4 posted on 11/22/2017 9:53:22 AM PST by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: ForYourChildren

of course. the enemies of America are NOT stupid,and the IslamoNazis both outside and within USA are very, very smart enemies.

they can recognize right away when our American CIC is, was on their side


5 posted on 11/22/2017 9:56:34 AM PST by faithhopecharity (“Politicians aren’t born, they’re excreted.” - Marcus Tillius Cicero (3 BCE))
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To: ForYourChildren

The Taliban were correct in their assessment.


6 posted on 11/22/2017 9:57:27 AM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: oh8eleven

Yes, it is. Destroying a third of the Afghan economy because it might get into Taliban hands, then being surprised when the third of the population whose livelihood you’ve wrecked will not only not cooperate with you, but actively fight you is trying to fight too many wars at once.


7 posted on 11/22/2017 9:57:39 AM PST by sparklite2 (-)
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To: ForYourChildren

With Obama in charge, it wasn’t so much that we lost our will. We changed sides.


8 posted on 11/22/2017 10:00:11 AM PST by KyCats
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To: ForYourChildren

“we now have the will to succeed.”

What the hell does success look like in Afghanistan!?!?!?!

So far, NOBODY has said what that is.

And the reason is quite simple, as is the definition of success:

Get out! Get out now! Not one more dollar, not one more life!


9 posted on 11/22/2017 10:00:26 AM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: ForYourChildren

Americas military never lost its will in Afghanistan or anyplace else. Poor political leadership and failure to define a vital national interest is another story.


10 posted on 11/22/2017 10:00:53 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: ForYourChildren

Now they just think we’re idiots with a lot of cash. This Nicholson guy sounds like another one of our vaunted generals.


11 posted on 11/22/2017 10:05:53 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ...)
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To: ForYourChildren

Exactly


12 posted on 11/22/2017 10:12:18 AM PST by ilovesarah2012
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To: ForYourChildren

13 posted on 11/22/2017 10:12:21 AM PST by Slyfox (Are you tired of winning yet?)
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To: Mariner

Seems nobody has a clue what the purpose of our continued presence is.


14 posted on 11/22/2017 10:14:51 AM PST by ilovesarah2012
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To: Mariner

I’m not trying to be provocative here, but after 16 years in Afghanistan what — exactly — are we doing there? What is our national objective and when will we achieve it? Or is this really about having an unofficial permanent US military outpost in the Middle East?


15 posted on 11/22/2017 10:15:51 AM PST by Obadiah
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To: ForYourChildren

No potties, No Hyphenated Citizens, Etc. ~ There ARE: AMERICANS and AINOs. ONLY!

Gunny G: AMERICAN! (NOT AINO)
Semper POTUS.45 TRUMP ~ IF We Can Keep Him!
*********************


16 posted on 11/22/2017 10:22:34 AM PST by gunnyg ("A Constitution changed from Freedom, can never be restored; Liberty, once lost, is lost forever...)
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To: ForYourChildren

bump


17 posted on 11/22/2017 11:21:41 AM PST by Albion Wilde (I was not elected to continue a failed system. I was elected to change it. --Donald J. Trump)
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To: ForYourChildren
US General in Afghanistan: From 2011 to 2016, ‘The Enemy Believed … We Had Lost Our Will’

Considering the gay muzzie pantywaist that pranced around and bowed to everything he encountered and pretended to be Commander in Chief, I'm not surprised.

18 posted on 11/22/2017 11:32:06 AM PST by The Sons of Liberty (Uranium One = BRIBERY and TREASON - HANG THEM ALL!!!!)
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To: ForYourChildren

The enemy had the executive branch....


19 posted on 11/22/2017 1:33:08 PM PST by Trod Upon (Government employees and welfare recipients are both net tax consumers. Often for life.)
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