US general denies Afghanistan 'quagmire'

[cal04]

As 150 Australian SAS troops prepare to leave for Afghanistan, America's top general is being forced to deny claims the country is becoming a military quagmire. General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says coalition troops are not being bogged down by rebel attacks.
"Quagmire is overused I think a little bit," he said.

In a rare appearance at Washington's foreign press centre, General Myers was keen to underline the multi-national nature of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. While Gen Myers believes the terror group Al Qaeda does not pose a credible threat in Afghanistan, bands of committed Taliban rebels do.

Echoing comments by the Prime Minister John Howard earlier in the week, Gen Myers says all Coalition troops in Afghanistan will be at much greater risk between now and the September election. He says remnants of the fundamentalist Taliban will be doing all they can to disrupt the country as it prepares for the September elections. "Those who do not want free and fair elections in Afghanistan, Iraq, you see an increase in the violence - I mean that's just been the typical pattern," he said.

America this week also announced it was sending 700 extra troops to Afghanistan. For almost four years, Washington has been on the hunt in Afghanistan for Osama bin Laden, the architect of the September 11 attacks on the United States. A month later, the US military invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban who had supported bin Laden and given him safe haven.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200507/s1414845.htm

[xray s]

1. "You want to see a quagmire...go to Iraq"

Meyrs didn't say it, but you know he was thinking it.

[ECH1969]

2. Afghanistan is just as much a quagmire as Iraq

Two domestic insurgencies aided by al-Qaeda who have their base in nearby countries. Either can keep on going forever as long as they have some level of local support. The main difference with Iraq is that there is more explosives for insurgents to use and that they have an easier access to suicide bombers from other Arab countries.

[LynnTheDem]

3. UK troops plan for Afghan crisis

DEFENCE chiefs are planning to rush thousands of British troops to Afghanistan in a bid to stop the country sliding towards civil war, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.

Ministers have been warned they face a "complete strategic failure" of the effort to rebuild Afghanistan and that 5,500 extra troops will be needed within months if the situation continues to deteriorate.

Defence analysts say UK forces are already so over-stretched that any operation to restore order in Afghanistan can only succeed if substantial numbers of troops are redeployed from Iraq, itself in the grip of insurgency.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=559872005

[WhiteTara]

4. and the VA medical staff says they can not handle

a war on two fronts. And it is only going to get worse.
IMPEACH BUSH