How Screwed Are We in Afghanistan? Discuss...

An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the "Stingers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 113 transits over Kandahar, Afghanistan, while supporting international security forces in the region, Oct. 6, 2008. The USS Ronald Reagan and Carrier Air Wing 14 are providing support to coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan. Coalition forces, composed of more than 52,000 personnel from 40 countries, are providing assistance to the government of Afghanistan, as part of the International Security Assistance Force. U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Erik Etz

From The Danger Room:

A draft intelligence reports says Afghanistan is in a "downward spiral." The commanders on the ground are begging for more troops -- without much luck. The White House has launched an "urgent review" of American policy, "amid growing concern that the administration lacks a comprehensive strategy" in Afghanistan. "The trends across the board are not going in the right direction," admits the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. "We’re not going to win this war," one British general says.

Just how screwed are we in Afghanistan? For every possible solution to this crisis -- adding more troops, reaching out to the tribes, negotiating with the Taliban, whacking militants in Pakistan -- there seems an equally plausible reason why it won't work.

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