Fresh debate over US mission in Afghanistan - Americas - Al Jazeera English
Re: US Lt. Colonel states US failing in Afghanistan
^ Has anyone defined what constitutes success?
Failure seems to tied to the absence of self-sufficiency, but would success be connected to a betterment of the conditions relative to what was there pre-deployment and is there any evidence (and by whose standards) can the circumstances be considered to be better?
Re: US Lt. Colonel states US failing in Afghanistan
One over riding factor says it all.
Narcotics.
The US and particularly Britain have failed to stop the number one product which finances the Taliban and other Insurgent groups.
From the various sources on the ground I can tell you for sure that the War has actually failed to tackle this major issue, with even the new Afghan government led by Karzai up to its neck in this issue, particularly Karzai's brother Wali Khan who is himself a Drug Baron in Helmand province.
Where private mercenaries such as Dyncorp have been assigned to seek out (Destroy) the Opium crops they too have got involved in the lucratve trade, while crop spraying in provinces held by ISAF has actually made the situation worse as the Price has increased and in Taliban controlled sectors this has been extremely benificial.
When we speak of the Taliban we can be assured that this is not the Original core Taliban that had ruled the country under an iron fist with Mullah Omar as spiritual head. The "New" Taliban is a confederation of independant chieftains some of whom are not at all part of the original Taliban but merely new bed buddies who have been running the Narco trade for years.
The increasing demand for Narcotics has meant that the Taliban can regroup and strike at any time they want, note also that theres no concentrated effort by the War Lords to unite and drive the "Invaders" out as had been the case with the Mujahideen in the Soviet era war. The new chieftains are merely content with thier lucrative trade links and where they do strike against coalition targets is ussually on main highways and bazars where they have a vested interest. Never mind nationalism its all about the profit to these guys now. Worse the Jihadi mentality is all but extinct in some of these gangs, they are hardly the strictest Muslims when they have drunken and doped parties every other night. The situation in Afghanistan is very complicated but due to the Drug trade the country has literally become another Colombia in essence.
Like Columbia where the FARC control 30% or more of the country here we have the Taliban with control over the majority some say as much as 80% of Afghanistan and the Poppy is the easiest cash crop and poor farmers see no reason to switch to anything different.
Someone has really messed up on this issue and I think the Pentagon is at its wits end, majority of fund for the Taliban come from the Drugs trade and so long as this continues the Taliban can outsource both weapons and fighters. While America struggles into debt, each new campaign is enriching the Taliban and to think in 2003 some had thought the Taliban would become extinct.
Re: US Lt. Colonel states US failing in Afghanistan
^ I wouldn't be surprised if America gets a taste of that drug money.
In terms of "winning the hearts and minds", they've failed miserably. Even if the situation is stable (not saying it is) it didn't come from an internal movement. Afghanistan has been ruined by the proxy war between the Soviets and the Americans.
Re: US Lt. Colonel states US failing in Afghanistan
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^ I wouldn't be surprised if America gets a taste of that drug money.
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Sadly it does in two fronts. Not only does the DEA have its hands full trying to stop the flow of Drugs from South America and East Asia, it also now has to stem the tide of drugs from Afghanistan which it seems the Russians are happy to distribute.
In fact the Russian Maffia (with which many in the Russian elite have close ties) are one of the big players in thsi as they pay big money to Afghan growers who can supply good quality raw Opium for the Russians to improve and sell both as Pharmacutical products and as street drugs. Also many dodgy ex soviet arms dealers will happily trade and launder drugs money and materials for weapons. The quality of weapons is also improving.
Where in the early days the Taliban were poorly armed and ill diciplined but highly motivated fanatics. They are now better armed and more calculating adversaries and the drugs pay for not only new weapons but better equipment, the Russians pioneered in Night Vision equipment and the Taliban have now obtained more sophisticated night vision aids as well as more Surface to Air missiles with which they have downed an worryingly increasing number of targets.
Re: US Lt. Colonel states US failing in Afghanistan
Those who dont learn from history are bound to repeat them...
Re: US Lt. Colonel states US failing in Afghanistan
Russia is one of the net losers in this equation, as drugs are easier to export to Russia than to europe or the US. This is why russia has been eager to form bilateral treaties for cooperation with Pakistan on this regard since Afghanistan is putting a wrench in what would have been a trilateral process for reasons that we already know (cash crop).
Re: US Lt. Colonel states US failing in Afghanistan
I don't know about Russia but India has become the biggest consumer of heroin in the world, maybe helped by the friendship between Afghanistan and India.