Five myths about the war in Afghanistan

[nonniey]

A pretty good article although I think they may have understated the mistake the President made in announcing a timeline.

Five myths about the war in Afghanistan

By Michael O'Hanlon and Hassina Sherjan

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The war in Afghanistan is in its ninth year, and even officials supportive of the U.S. presence there acknowledge the challenges that remain. "People still need to understand there is some very hard fighting and very hard days ahead," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during his trip to Afghanistan last week. But the conflict is not hopeless, nor it is eternal. If we want to develop realistic expectations about the war -- how it might unfold from here and when it could begin to wind down -- it would help to dispel some of the popular mythologies that have emerged about the Afghans, the enemy we're fighting and the U.S. commitment

1. Afghans always hate and defeat their invaders.

The Afghans drove the British Empire out of their country in the 19th century and did the same to the Soviet Union in the 20th century. They do fight fiercely; many American troops who have been deployed both in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years have asserted that the Afghans are stronger natural fighters.

Yet, the people of Afghanistan do not despise foreigners. Despite downward trends in recent years, Afghans are far more accepting of an international presence in their country than are Iraqis, for example, who typically gave the U.S. presence approval ratings of 15 to 30 percent in the early years of the war in that country. Average U.S. favorability ratings in recent surveys in Afghanistan are around 50 percent, and according to polls from ABC, the BBC and the International Republican Institute, about two-thirds of Afghans recognize that they still need foreign help.

And before we mythologize the Afghan insurgency, it is worth remembering some history. In the 1980s, the United States, Saudi Arabia and others gave enormous financial and military assistance to the Afghan resistance movement that eventually forced the Soviets out. That group grew to about 250,000 in strength in the mid-1980s. But today, the Taliban and other resistance groups receive substantial help only from some elements in Pakistan -- and diminishing help at that -- and collectively, they number about 25,000 fighters.

Finally, though U.S.-backed Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, today's international presence there does not amount to an invasion. Foreign forces are present at the invitation of the host government, which two-thirds of Afghans consider legitimate, if somewhat corrupt. ....

Click Link for the article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031103394.html

[TimmySmith]

I fail to understand the premise of the article.

Skipping number 1, since it is arguable that the US could be considered an invader, yet.

2. I doubt anyone believes that. Which is considered a bigger enemy to the country Saddam or the Taliban. The US had more allies instantly in Afghanistan.

3. Seriously, does anyone feel we are not Nation building in Afghanistan. Anyone? This by the way will be the downfall if there is one.

4. A joke not worthy of addressing. Maybe Sean Penn and other pacifist freaks believe this. Even the most ultra anti-war understand that you cannot negotiate with these guys.

5. The myth is correct. Not a partisan observation, just a war observation. No one on the other side is going to sign an armistice, so it's basically up the president. The authors say as much in the article. Timetables = broken promises, Obama has learned this one the hard way.

The whole thing feels like propaganda.

[Larry]

Seriously, does anyone feel we are not Nation building in Afghanistan. Anyone?

Gawd, I hope we are. Otherwise, the whole thing was a monumental waste, if not making things considerably worse.

[dinkymark67]

I heard a lady that spent time in Afghanistan when it was under Taliban rule. She said most of the Taliban were Islamic radicals from other countries so most Afghans considered them invaders.

[Smoot Point Really]

Big problem is you have a poor country making a lot of money from poppy... Same problem as South/Central American countries... It's hard to liberate a country while destroying its source of wealth.

[21cents]

Afghanistan isnt powered by taliban. The war lords control the damn country.