Afghan Insurgency Can Sustain Itself Indefinitely’: Top U.S. Intel Officer

[tekisui]

Source: uruknet.info

The Taliban not only has the "momentum" after the most successful year in its campaign against the United States and the Kabul government. "The Afghan insurgency can sustain itself indefinitely," according to a briefing from Major General Michael Flynn, the top U.S. intelligence officer in the country. "The Taliban retains required partnerships to sustain support, fuel legitimacy and bolster capacity."

And if that isn’t enough, Flynn also warns that "time is running out" for the American-lead International Security Assistance Force. "Regional instability is rapidly increasing and getting worse," the report says.

Since General Stanley McChrystal took over as top commander in Afghanistan, there have been a series of dark appraisals about the state of the war. In August, McChrystal warned of an "urgent need for a significant change to our strategy and the way that we think and operate." A report recently obtained by NBC News said Afghanistan’s security forces won’t be ready to fight the Taliban for years — if ever. Earlier this week, Flynn issued a white paper complaining that "eight years into the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. intelligence community is only marginally relevant to the overall strategy."

But Flynn’s December 23rd presentation on the "State of the Insurgency: Trends, Intentions and Objectives" may be the gloomiest public assessment of the war yet. The "loosely organized" Taliban is "growing more cohesive" and "increasingly effective." The insurgents now have their own "governors" installed in 33 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. And the "strength and ability of shadow governance increasing," according to the presentation. The Taliban’s "organizational capabilities and operational reach are qualitatively and geographically expanding."



more: http://www.uruknet.info/index.php?p=m61968&hd=&size=1&l=e

[Turbineguy]

1. It was a good thing for the Taliban

that they had the Bush administration against them.

[elocs]

2. If Afghanistan’s security forces won’t be ready to fight the Taliban for years — if ever,

then I have to say that they don't really want to have their own country as the Taliban wants it.

[tekisui]

3. Kazai says it will be at least 15 years before they will be capable

of defending themselves against the Taliban.

[elocs]

5. I wonder what world super-power is training, arming, and backing the Taliban

to make them so invincible?

[avaistheone1]

4. We are spending ourselves into our own annihilation on these wars and the overall war on terra.

Pretty damn stupid.