International Crisis Group: Afghan Government Will Probably Fall If U.S. Withdraws

Smoke and flames rise from the Intercontinental Hotel during a battle between NATO-led forces and suicide bombers and Taliban insurgents in Kabul on Wednesday. (REUTERS)

Report: Afghan Government At Risk If U.S. Withdraws -- L.A. Times

Capitalizing on government corruption, the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan has found safe haven in areas far beyond its traditional stronghold in the country’s southeast, raising questions about whether the government of Hamid Karzai will be able to survive as U.S. troops withdraw, says a report out Thursday by the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit think tank that studies conflict zones.

The report, titled “The Insurgency in Afghanistan’s Heartland,” argues that during the U.S. military surge to combat the insurgency in Afghanistan’s south, stability in the center of the country has steadily eroded.

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My Comment: The report is blunt .... to change the dynamics of the conflict, there must be a concerted effort to stamp out the culture of corruption, tribalism, unemployment, lack of security, absence of government (and accountability), collusion of our allies with the Taliban, and an ineffective Afghan security force.

Sighhhh ... yeah right.