New Afghanistan Report from Joint Chiefs Favors Border Warfare Over Nation-Building

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Secret report urges new Afghan plan

Politico :eyes:
February 3, 2009

The Pentagon’s top military officers are recommending to President Barack Obama that he shift U.S. strategy in Afghanistan — to focus on ensuring regional stability and eliminating Taliban and Al Qaida safe havens in Pakistan, rather than on achieving lasting democracy and a thriving Afghan economy, officials said.

The recommendations to narrow U.S. goals are contained in a classified report by the Joint Chiefs of Staff that is likely to be shown soon to Obama as part of a review of Afghanistan strategy announced by the new administration.

Obama is expected to announce soon his decision on a request for additional forces from the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. David McKiernan. Several officials said they believe the president will approve sending three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan, totaling roughly 10,000 to 12,000 troops.

But a decision by Obama about whether to approve a more far-reaching shift in U.S. objectives in Afghanistan will be made later as part of the strategy review, the officials said. In addition to the Joint Chiefs, Obama will hear recommendations from Gen. David Petraeus, in charge of U.S. Central Command, and from Richard Holbrooke, Obama’s civilian envoy to Afghanistan. The review is not expected to be completed for several months.

Though Obama is likely to approve the three additional three brigades, the Chiefs considered and rejected the option of a recommending an even larger “surge” for Afghanistan, the officials said. More troops could still be approved as part of the strategy review, another official emphasized.


read more: http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=3A6A45BB-18FE-70B2-A8210C83C0C894C8

[RDANGELO]

1. I hope he listens to them. n/t

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2. I hope Holbrooke is effective in his diplomacy

. . . and that the military posturing and maneuvering with the new influx of U.S. troops won't muck up the necessary diplomacy in neighboring Pakistan.


according to U.S. and coalition military documents obtained by CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/afghanistan.drop/

Since January 2008, U.S. and NATO troop deaths have risen 26 percent, according to the statistics. Afghan security forces deaths are up 64 percent in the same period.

The one constant is that while most of Afghanistan is experiencing relative calm, fighting continues to rage in the east and south, where 70 percent of the attacks occur.

In the south, where the Taliban are mainly focused, and in the east, where much of the al Qaeda forces remain and move back and forth between the Pakistan border, an influx of U.S. forces expected this year will reinforce war-weary U.S. and coalition troops.

NATO documents show that some of the main reasons for the increase in violence is more U.S. troops on the ground and an increase in operational Afghan forces hitting insurgent targets around the country, but sanctuary in Pakistan by insurgent forces allow them to retreat and re-attack . . .

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3. .