The ASG (Afghan Studies Group) recently came out with a report on recommendations for Afghanistan.
Specifically, the report makes the following suggestions:
* Emphasise power sharing and political inclusion which should be designed to decentralise power and broaden the ethnic base of the Afghan army.
* Downsize and eventually end military operations in southern Afghanistan and reduce the US military footprint which radicalises the Pashtuns and is an important aid for Taliban recruitment.
* Focus security efforts on Al-Qaeda and the domestic security.
* Encourage economic development.
* Engage regional and global stakeholders to guarantee Afghan neutrality and foster regional stability.
Of course, these recommendations were immediately attacked by warpimp tabletop wargamers Andrew Exum and Johsua Foust.
But neither the ASG or Exum and Foust are paying any attention to the realities on the ground.
American troops are not armed social workers-- they are missionaries with guns, whether they want to be or not. And the Graveyard of Empires is death on missionaries.
Last week in Kabul.
Police fired into the air to disperse thousands of anti-American protesters in Afghanistan’s capital Wednesday, witnesses and police said, with one person killed and at least five wounded.
Demonstrators chanted “Death to America,” “Death to Christians,” and “Death to Karzai,” the latter referring to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in the biggest protests since unrest erupted last week over plans by a U.S. pastor to burn the Koran.
“There are more than 10,000 of the demonstrators and some of them are waving the Taliban flag,” police officer Mohammad Usman.
Guess what? The Taliban have manpads and Stingers left over from our proxy war with the sovs that America gave the mujahideen.
Boys and girls, can you say Blackhawk Down Redux?
All it will take is for Assange to release the Garani Massacre video, which he irrefutably has in his treasure trove classified data mine.
ASG report--it is hoped that the relevance of the Taliban, as an alternative to the Kabul regime, is likely to decline.
in your dreams, ASG.
wish in one hand, spit in the other and see which fills up the fastest.
Right now 30k talibs are delivering an epic asswhupping to 430k combined american coalition and afghan defense force troops. And it is going to get worse.
Can we go home NAOW?