Commander: A ‘surge’ isn’t the answer in Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

Commander: A ‘surge’ isn’t the answer in Afghanistan
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The top commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan says that 2009 will be a "tough fight" in Afghanistan, and the United States will need nearly twice as many troops for up to four years to stabilize the country.

Gen. David McKiernan told USA Today on Sunday that increasing U.S. troop levels from about 32,000 to 55,000 or 60,000 is "needed until we get to this tipping point where the Afghan army and the Afghan police have both the capacity and capability to provide security for their people. That is at least three or four more years away."

A report issued Monday by a Europe-based think tank said that the Taliban have expanded their presence in Afghanistan to cover more than 70 percent of the country.

The report, issued by the International Council on Security and Development, said that the Taliban presence this year was up from 54 percent of the country last year.

"While the international community’s prospects in Afghanistan have never been bleaker, the Taliban has been experiencing a renaissance that has gained momentum since 2005. The West is in genuine danger of losing Afghanistan," its authors wrote.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?article=59288