Disillusionment over Afghanistan Grows in West (DER SPIEGEL)

[Call Me Wesley]

Can the War Be Won?


Last Friday's attack on two hijacked fuel tankers is believed to have killed many Afghan civilians and has drawn international condemnation.
It has prompted criticism of the German army from its NATO partners and is set to put the German government under mounting domestic pressure to
come up with an exit strategy for its 4,200 troops in Afghanistan.

By Susanne Koelbl (DER SPIEGEL 09-08-2009)

Public support for the war in Afghanistan is being undermined by incidents such as Friday's air strike, in which many civilians are reported to have died. US President Barack Obama and the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, want to try a new approach, but many analysts believe the war can no longer be won.

The images are shaky, but you can see things well enough to recognize that something is not right. And then it happens: An armored car belonging to Western forces races through the streets of an Afghan city. Panicked civilians scramble to get out of the way. A civilian car moves into the lane ahead of the military vehicle. The machine gunner aims, fires and scores a hit.

The military vehicle then races away while a number of Afghans run over to the attacked car, which is now in flames. They can be seen yelling and waving their arms frantically. Some of them try to help injured passengers out of the car.

"How many new insurgents is this patrol likely to have produced today?" a quiet voice asks in the darkened screening room. It belongs to Stanley McChrystal, 55, the new commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. They call him "McThree", as his predecessors' names were McNeill and McKiernan.

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