West Won't Win Afghan War

Claims that withdrawing Western garrisons from Afghanistan or Iraq will leave a void certain to be filled by extremists are nonsense. Half of Afghanistan and a third of Iraq are already largely controlled by anti-Western resistance forces. Were it not for omnipotent U.S. airpower, American and NATO forces would be quickly driven from the area. Last week, Canadian and British commanders boasted they were about to annihilate Taliban forces “surrounded” around Panjwai and Zahri. They crowed about already killing an “estimated 500 Taliban.” After a storm of bombing and shelling, British and Canadian commanders admitted “we were surprised the enemy had fled.” Surprised? “Good Morning, Afghanistan!” Doesn’t anyone remember the Vietnam War’s fruitless search-and-destroy missions and inflated body counts? Don’t NATO commanders know their every move is telegraphed in advance to Taliban forces? http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0917-26.htm

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