British Army Lt. Gen. Adrian Bradshaw, deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, quoted by Kristina Wong of The Washington Times:
“This year, we’ve seen the enemy pushed further into the margins, away from the population centers. We’ve seen signs of pressure in our intelligence reporting, of shortages of finance and equipment,” he said.
“We’ve seen their leadership now showing divisions at the middle levels and at the high levels, concluding that they’re not going to achieve their aims by military means alone,” he said.
“Now, the enemy will continue to throw challenges at us; of course, he will. But he knows he cannot achieve his political aims now through military means. So this is the time to hold our resolve.”
via British general warns against hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan – Washington Times.
I had the opportunity to see for myself Afghanistan 40 years ago. years before even the Russians arrived. It was a country at peace, and although poor there was enough for people’s needs at a price they could afford. General Bradshaw should read the history books about foreign armies trying to decide how this collection of fiefdoms functions. I am sure he is not on the front line wondering on a daily basis if the Afghan soldier smiling at him is about to kill him.
I don’t know of any foreign intervention in a civil war that has improved the situation. I wonder how the English or Americans would have appreciated the Chines deciding to a pick a side , during their respective civil wars.
As with Iraq, there’s been a weird policy schizophrenia as between Marshall Plan democratic nation building and minimal strategic (Iraq – protect marginal price of oil, Afghan – contain radical Islamism) objectives. On the latter basis, it’s enough to ensure the West can obliterate anything that looks like a real military base or advance across the Pakistan border, preferably by remote control. The distinguished General’s quote could have been made in just about any year since 2003 and now sounds like Yogi Berra’s deja vu all over again.