Afghanistan

[Huey]

Why is this country kissy pooing these people over some soldiers posing in front of suicide bombers bodies? They sure didn't say anything when Gi's were posing with vietcong bodies.We must be losing in Afghanistan for these people to be acting like this.America is full of XXXX

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - we need to go in an' kick names an' take butt...

Gen. John Nicholson Sees 'Stalemate' in Afghanistan
February 9, 2017 | Is the United States winning or losing in Afghanistan? Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked the commander of U.S. forces in that country.

"Mr. Chairman, I believe we're in a stalemate," Gen. John Nicholson replied. In his opening statement to the committee, Nicholson said he remains concerned about "multiple critical factors," specifically the stability of the Afghan government; heavy casualties among the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces; the influence of external actors on Afghanistan, including Pakistan, Russia, and Iran; and the convergence of 20 terrorist groups and three violent extremist organizations operating in the region. "Other non-military factors such as the economy, governance and corruption, demographics, reconciliation and reintegration, and the influence of the narcotics trade also affect this mission and underscore the need to employ all instruments of U.S. national power with those of our Allies and partners," Nicholson wrote.

Asked how many more troops he needs to reverse the stalemate, Nicholson said he has enough troops to fulfill the U.S. counterterrorism mission. "In my train-advise-assist mission, however, we have a shortfall of a few thousand. And this is in the NATO train-advise-assist mission, so this could come from the U.S. and its allies." Right now, around 8,400 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan to conduct counterterrorism or training missions. Nicholson said that "offensive capability" -- Afghan special forces and an Afghan air force -- would also help break the stalemate in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Defense Department in November 2016 submitted a $814.5 million funding request to replace Afghanistan's "unsustainable" Russian-manufactured aircraft fleet and make up for combat losses in Afghan transport helicopters by providing U.S. Army UH-60s. "This investment that we are requesting in the Afghan Air Force will help them...to take over responsibility for their own close air support, and even more importantly, this then will lead to an offensive capability that allows them to overmatch the Taliban or any other group on the battlefield, anywhere around the country," Nicholson said. But he also said a fully operational Afghan Air Force is still some years away. Nicholson said it will take approximately 21 months from the initial funding approval to field the first refurbished and upgraded UH-60.

McCain said he's proud that some Afghan fighter pilots are now training in F-16s in Tucson, Arizona, and he said "it might be nice" if other Afghan pilots could come here to train. Nicholson also told the committee that it's very difficult to succeed on the battlefield when the enemy finds safe haven in neighboring Pakistan. And on the topic of "external actors," Nicholson said Russia's involvement in Afghanistan "has become more difficult" this year. "First, they have begun to publicly legitimize the Taliban. This narrative that they promote is that the Taliban are fighting Islamic State and the Afghan government is not fighting Islamic State...This is a false narrative. The Afghan government, along with U.S. counterterrorism forces, are successfully fighting against Islamic State in Afghanistan."

Gen. John Nicholson Sees 'Stalemate' in Afghanistan

See also:

US general wants thousands more troops to break Afghan stalemate
Friday 10th February, 2017 | WASHINGTON: The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said on Thursday he needs several thousand more international troops in order to break a stalemate in the long war with Taliban insurgents, signalling the matter may soon be put before President Donald Trump.

So far, Trump has offered little clarity about whether he might approve more forces for Afghanistan, where some 8,400 U.S. troops remain more than 15 years after the Islamist Taliban government was toppled by U.S.-backed Afghan forces. A U.S. soldier was severely wounded in fighting in Afghanistan on Thursday, the military said. Army General John Nicholson, who leads U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, acknowledged Taliban gains over the past year, when deployed U.S. forces were reduced even as security deteriorated. Nicholson said he still had enough U.S. troops to carry out counterterrorism missions against al Qaeda and other militant targets, but not enough to properly advise Afghan forces on the ground. "We have a shortfall of a few thousand," Nicholson told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

U.S. Army General John Nicholson, Commander of Resolute Support forces and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, speaks during a memorial ceremony to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in Kabul, Afghanistan​

He added those forces could both be drawn from U.S. forces as well as from allies. Nicholson noted that Trump's defense secretary, Jim Mattis, would soon speak with allies and suggested Mattis might visit Afghanistan in the coming weeks. That could help Mattis prepare his own recommendation to Trump, who has sharply criticized past U.S. administrations for their handling of conflicts in the Muslim world but has also pledged to eradicate militant Islamists around the globe.

PAKISTAN POLICY REVIEW

Nicholson called for a "holistic review" of the relationship with Pakistan, echoing longstanding U.S. concerns that the Haqqani network, a militant group, enjoys sanctuary in areas in that country along the Afghan border. "Our complex relationship with Pakistan is best assessed through a holistic review," Nicholson said, saying that addressing U.S. concerns about Pakistan was at the top of his list of priorities to address with the Trump administration. The United States has cut both military and economic aid to Pakistan sharply in recent years, reflecting mounting U.S. frustration with the nuclear-armed nation. Afghan government forces control no more than two-thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014.

It is also struggling with other militants, particularly from Islamic State's Afghanistan branch. Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed at least 22 people outside Afghanistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday. A number of provincial capitals have been under pressure from the Taliban while Afghan forces have been suffering high casualty rates, with more than 5,500 killed in the first eight months of 2016. For its part, the Taliban has repeatedly urged the United States and its allies to leave Afghanistan, ruling out peace talks with the Kabul government while foreign forces remain on Afghan soil.

US general wants thousands more troops to break Afghan stalemate

 

[Sunni Man]

America is never going to subdue the Afghan people.

War is their national sport.

Just declare victory, like we did in Vietnam, and exit the country. ....

 

[Mudda]

America is never going to subdue the Afghan people.

War is their national sport.

Just declare victory, like we did in Vietnam, and exit the country. ....

So why were you subdued so easily?