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Afghanistan could be lost within a year: US commander
AFP on Yahoo ^ | 9/21/09 | AFP

Posted on 09/21/2009 9:50:02 AM PDT by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan warned President Barack Obama in a confidential report that the war against the Taliban could be lost within a year without more troops.

In a grim assessment of the eight-year conflict leaked to the Washington Post and published Monday, General Stanley McChrystal said a new strategy was needed and warned that "inadequate resources will likely result in failure.

"Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term (next 12 months) -- while Afghan security capacity matures -- risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible," he wrote.

The report was presented to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on August 30 and is being reviewed by the White House, with McChrystal widely expected to make a formal request to increase the 62,000-strong US force.

McChrystal, who assumed command of international troops in Afghanistan in June, said the campaign in Afghanistan "has been historically under-resourced and remains so today."

This fact risks "a longer conflict, greater casualties, higher overall costs, and ultimately, a critical loss of political support. Any of these risks, in turn, are likely to result in mission failure," he wrote.

The 66-page document -- a declassified version of which is published at www.washingtonpost.com -- describes a strengthening, intelligent Taliban insurgency.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; bho44; bhodod; bhogwot; commander; lost; mcchrystal; mhmmdnsm09212009; obama; oef; wot
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1 posted on 09/21/2009 9:50:03 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

Gee... BHO was hoping for 6 months.


2 posted on 09/21/2009 9:51:29 AM PDT by BigFinn (Isa 32:8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Didn’t this McChrystal guy only just take over!?

What were his predecessors doing??


3 posted on 09/21/2009 9:51:33 AM PDT by Old Sarge (Marking Time On The Government's Dime)
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WaPo pdf file

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/Assessment_Redacted_092109.pdf?hpid=topnews


4 posted on 09/21/2009 9:52:17 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard)
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To: NormsRevenge

It’s 1965 again...and Obama is playing the role of LBJ.


5 posted on 09/21/2009 9:52:45 AM PDT by Signalman
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To: NormsRevenge

But,but I thought this was the right war, the good war.....every pundit, anti-American and anti-War person said so. What happened.................????


6 posted on 09/21/2009 9:52:59 AM PDT by yoe (Obama, America's first Communist Czar)
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To: BigFinn

Muslim CIC ordering our Marines to not shoot back with Islamo-Rules of Engagement.

I hope Judge Carter and maybe one or two other honest judges are paying attention.


7 posted on 09/21/2009 9:53:32 AM PDT by Frantzie (Do we want ACORN running America's healthcare?)
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Graphic on the number of troops serving with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. US General Stanley McChrystal -- the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan -- has warned President Barack Obama in a confidential report that the war against the Taliban could be lost within a year without more troops. (AFP Graphic)


8 posted on 09/21/2009 9:55:40 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard)
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To: yoe
“But,but I thought this was the right war, the good war.....every pundit, anti-American and anti-War person said so. What happened.................????”

I've been saying for years Iraq was the easy war, do they WANT to listen? Nah.

Pull us out of the war we're winning and get us in deeper in the war we're losing, now that's change you can believe in!

9 posted on 09/21/2009 9:56:13 AM PDT by jpf (Obama's been President for like 15 minutes and I'm a better person already.)
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai extended an olive branch Sunday to Taliban militants trying to overthrow his Western-backed government as he marked the start of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr festival. (AFPTV)


10 posted on 09/21/2009 9:56:31 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard)
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To: NormsRevenge
This fact risks "a longer conflict, greater casualties, higher overall costs, and ultimately, a critical loss of political support. Any of these risks, in turn, are likely to result in mission failure," he wrote.

What exactly is the "mission" anyway, chief?

11 posted on 09/21/2009 9:58:54 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (God is great, beer is good . . . and people are crazy.)
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To: Bobkk47

I can see Zero now, in a basement room of the White House, picking out airstrike targets on a big floor map.


12 posted on 09/21/2009 10:00:17 AM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Ram "Health Care Reform" down our throats in '09, and we'll ram it up your @ss in '10.)
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To: Alberta's Child
Mr. OB what is your exit strategy?

Where are the peace demonstrations in major cities?

Why isn't Code Punk calling for impeachment?

13 posted on 09/21/2009 10:01:11 AM PDT by nufsed (Release the birth certificate, passport, and school records.)
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Something stink, O?

afp


14 posted on 09/21/2009 10:01:32 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard)
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To: NormsRevenge

“.... leaked to the Washington Post....)

During a time of war, these leakers should be hunted down and killed on the spot.

Those that receive and then irresponsibly publish the leaks, should meet the same fate.


15 posted on 09/21/2009 10:01:38 AM PDT by Gator113 (YES WE CAN.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cMxJBenigY&feature=related)
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To: NormsRevenge

Obama’s endgame discussed by a military chief...


16 posted on 09/21/2009 10:03:05 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: NormsRevenge

Geezuz - why are reports like this being made public??

Talk about a propaganda windfall for the taliban.


17 posted on 09/21/2009 10:05:11 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (Welcome to the Revolution.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Perhaps I'm traumatized by my experience in Vietnam but I'm concerned that the war is unwinnable. Not because of any lack of courage or dedication by our superb military but because that county is not really a country but an accumulation of tribes and medieval warlords who are, at least for the present, beyond redemption.

We need to get our minds around the fact that there is a strong justification for assigning collective responsibility for any tribe(s) in Afghanistan that supports al Queda.

We can't bomb them into the stone age but we may just have to obliterate whole tribes to wipe out those who support our enemies.

18 posted on 09/21/2009 10:09:26 AM PDT by oneolcop (Lead, Follow or Get the hell out of the way!)
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To: Cyber Liberty
Obama: "Bomb this group of... things.
Adviser: "Those are dust bunnies."
19 posted on 09/21/2009 10:10:22 AM PDT by Rodebrecht (Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.)
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To: oneolcop

Naw, you’re just a clear thinking individual!


20 posted on 09/21/2009 10:12:22 AM PDT by refermech
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