Canadian soldiers patrol in the battle-ravaged Taliban stronghold of Pashmul, Afghanistan, Dec. 4, 2008. Photograph by: Ethan Baron, Canwest News ServiceFrom The Vancouver Sun:
PARIS — Afghanistan has become a "narco-state" that is unlikely to experience democracy or peace any time soon, according to a pessimistic new report on the conflict released Thursday.
The study by two major think-tanks, one American and the other German, calls on the U.S. and its allies to re-fashion the counter-insurgency while seeking to reach a political settlement with Taliban insurgents.
The report echoes some of the views recently expressed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has come under criticism from opposition MPs for declaring that he doesn't expect military victory in a conflict that has claimed more than 111 Canadian lives.
"Recent events suggest that a clear military victory is unlikely, even if the coalition augments its troop strength," said the report by the Rand Corporation and the Bertelsmann Stiftung think-tank.
Read more ....
My Comment: The original reason why we entered Afghanistan was to rout the Al Qaeda and Taliban alliance that lead to 9/11. Where to go from here has been a debate that is long in coming. I can only hope that a strategy and a course of action (that makes sense) will be implemented in the next few months.
No comments:
Post a Comment