Meanwhile Afghanistan . . . ?

[Last night on npr I happened to catch a report on the conflict between Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the army general in charge of our troops in Afghanistan. Mullen says we are in big trouble and failing there. The general claims we are doing fine.

The Nato chief in the BBC report below suggests that failure there will be disastrous, but says we are not failing yet. Mullen maintains that we would need 400,000 troops there to do the job. We have about half that number there now and no one wants to send more -- particularly to the dangerous areas. We will be sending 3,550 marines. Lucky guys!

It need not be pointed out again that the diversion to Iraq has blown it with Afghanistan, fueled alQaeda with new troops, allowed bin Laden to find shelter between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and possibly also blown our efforts to keep Pakistan with us.

And so it goes when one's leaders are incompetent! Ed Kent]

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* West warned over Afghan failure *
Nato's chief says failure in Afghanistan could fuel attacks in the West, as top UK and US diplomats visit the country.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7231959.stm
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 212-665-8535 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
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