Wednesday, September 19, 2012

U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta: Toughest Fighting In Afghanistan Yet To Come

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta gives an in-flight press briefing while flying to Tokyo, Sept. 15, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Panetta Says Toughest Fighting In Afghanistan Yet To Come -- E-Ring/Foreign Policy

In his exclusive sit-down with Foreign Policy on Friday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that some of the "toughest" fighting in Afghanistan is yet to come.

It was not a surprising assessment - commanders long have talked about the tenacious presence of insurgents and Haqqani network operatives in the East -- but one perhaps not fully understood by those who don't war watch for a living.

Although the war in Afghanistan is winding down by some measures -- number of bases, number of troops deployed -- loudly touted on the campaign trail this year, the fighting is not finished. Unlike the last two years of the Iraq war, don't expect American soldiers and Marines to be stuck on shrink-wrap duty sending tons of U.S. war goods and equipment back home.

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My Comment: In one interview he mentions that the Taliban's "insider attacks" is it's last gasp .... in this interview he is predicting more fighting. Mr. Secretary .... which is it?

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