Even A US Surge Won’t Beat The Taliban

Sir Jock Stirrup has admitted to worries about Snatch Land Rovers
Photo: GEOFF PUGH /The Telegraph

From Times Online:

Sir Jock Stirrup, Britain’s chief of the defence staff, tells Carey Schofield only politics can bring peace to Afghanistan

Fighter reconnaissance pilots possess steely resolve. Having served his time flying Strikemasters during Britain’s “secret war” in Oman in the 1970s and a Jaguar reconnaissance aircraft during the cold war, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, now chief of the defence staff, knows something about steering a difficult course into hostile territory. Indeed, he’s still doing it today. He is described by many in the services as “Gordon’s favourite defence chief” - and it is not meant as a compliment.

At a time when the armed forces are stuck in two unpopular wars, Stirrup has come under heavy fire for his willingness to work with his political masters. Typically, he brushes aside suggestions that the defence budget is in trouble. There is “serious pressure” he admits, but “we have to adjust our programme so that we can live within the available resources”. It is not hard to see why this frustrates troops waiting on the ground in Afghanistan for a helicopter that may or may not arrive to deliver supplies.

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My Comment: The money quote is the following .... "We have to look upon Afghanistan as a journey continued rather than a destination reached.”

In the end of this conflict, a good number of Taliban leaders, drug lords, warlords, Afghan tribal leaders, and Afghan leaders supported by Nato will meet to work out some peace arrangement. A surge will not defeat the Taliban and their allies .... but like in Iraq .... a surge will kill off the most ardent and the most extremist among the Taliban.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup knows that this battle is going to take a long time .... and it will produce casualties on a continuous basis. .... he is just doing his job .... informing us to expect the worse.