While President Obama is facing increasing skepticism at home over the war in Afghanistan, the top U.S. military leader there is preparing a sober evaluation for the president of the difficult mission ahead. Recently promoted to leadership of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan, General McChrystal has condemned the terrible state of Afghan governance and suggested that the U.S. military will have to fight Afghan government corruption in order to improve prospects for achieving U.S. goals there.Relying on leaked details from unpublished material, the UK's Guardian reported that General Stanley McChrystal has likened "the US military to a bull charging at the matador-like Taliban and slightly weakened with each 'cut' it receives." The General's review "is also expected to confirm that protecting the Afghan people against the Taliban must be the top priority.
Prior U.S. military efforts have focused on hunting for Taliban and Al Queda militants. Problems with this strategy have been widely reported. The Taliban disappear into the local communities when U.S. forces get the upper hand in a fight. Then, when U.S. forces move on, the Taliban reappear and exact ruthless punishment on those Afghans who cooperated with American forces. Taliban executions have devastated local leadership and frightened villagers.
Another problem was that U.S. offensives often rely on remote technology such as remote controlled "drone" aircraft. Targeted bombings are often successful at killing Taliban, however, numerous civilians are caught in bombings, which are widely reported. Civilian deaths have angered Afghans and turned some away from the American effort.
McChrystal is reportedly to tell Obama plainly that the current strategy is "not working."
The war, which began as a response to 9/11 under President Bush, was never successful at establishing control in the countryside. The U.S. has dominated major urban areas and helped install national and local leadership, but much of the country remained in Taliban or Warlord control.
McChrystal was asked by President Obama for a new evaluation of the Afghan theater soon after he was promoted in June. The president also sent 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and it was widely believed that a “surge” as used Iraq was all that was needed to shore up the battle in Afghanistan, where the U.S. supported Karzai government has been in office for nearly seven years.
Comments by McChrystal and other Afghanistan experts suggest a more dire situation, and the recent assassination of the deputy head of Afghan Intelligence confirms deteriorating security conditions.
McChrystal testified recently that corruption of the Afghan government is so pervasive that it may turn the public towards the Taliban.
A shift away from hunting Taliban to protecting the local population has already begun. This strategy requires additional troops to secure large areas of the countryside. While the current report is not expected to request additional troops, such a request is expected.
