Petraeus: "Bottom line - the momentum achieved by the Taliban has been arrested."

[Clio the Leo]

From Gen Petraeus' testimony before the Armed Services Committee today. You dont have to like, but you SHOULD be informed.

Bottom Line Up Front
As a bottom line up front, it is ISAF’s assessment that the momentum achieved by the
Taliban in Afghanistan since 2005 has been arrested in much of the country and reversed
in a number of important areas. However, while the security progress achieved over the
past year is significant, it is also fragile and reversible. Moreover, it is clear that much
difficult work lies ahead with our Afghan partners to solidify and expand our gains in the
face of the expected Taliban spring offensive. Nonetheless, the hard-fought
achievements in 2010 and early 2011 have enabled the Joint Afghan-NATO Transition
Board to recommend initiation this spring of transition to Afghan lead in several
provinces. The achievements of the past year are also very important as I prepare to
provide options and a recommendation to President Obama for commencement of the
drawdown of the US surge forces in July. Of note, as well, the progress achieved has put
us on the right azimuth to accomplish the objective agreed upon at last November’s
Lisbon Summit, that of Afghan forces in the lead throughout the country by the end of
2014.

Getting the Inputs Right
The achievements of 2010 and early 2011 have been enabled by a determined effort to
get the inputs right in Afghanistan. With the strong support of the United States and the
47 other troop-contributing countries, ISAF has focused enormous attention and
resources over the past two years on building the organizations needed to conduct a
comprehensive, civil-military counterinsurgency campaign, on staffing those
organizations properly, on developing – in close coordination with our Afghan partners –
the requisite concepts and plans, and, above all, on deploying the additional forces,
civilians, and funding needed. Indeed, more than 87,000 additional ISAF troopers and
1,000 additional civilians have been added to the effort in Afghanistan since the
beginning of 2009. And Afghanistan’s Security Forces have grown by over 122,000 in
that time, as well.

http://armed-services.senate.gov/statemnt/2011/03%20March/Petraeus%2003-15-11.pdf

[hobbit709]

1. Where have we heard this before?

Wasn't it in some other Asian country about 40 years ago.

[gkhouston]

3. I thought we heard it the fifth time we turned a corner.

Also the twelfth, eighteenth, and twenty-seventh.

[Vinnie From Indy]

2. "in close coordination with our Afghan partners"

HE really means the corrupt relatives of Hamid Karzai and other elites.

One wonders if the Pentagon speech writers are simply dusting off old Vietnam speeches and talking points and changing the dates and names.

[tekisui]

4. The enemy is on the run!

:eyes: