- Are the army tactics likely to be counterproductive? The army is using the tactics of 'fighting from a distance' using long-range artillery and air power. This will take a heavy toll on the civilian population. The Taliban, on the other hand, can minimize their losses by dispersing. Will these tactics eventually end up alienating the local population and strengthening the Taliban?
That's not accurate. The army is doing a combined air-ground attack - the casualty rate amongst soldiers is already very high. Air and artillery are used in areas where the army is fighting to support their attacks, rather than to simply hit at a distance.