Monday, 13 September 2010

AFGHANISTAN (2)

Readers of this blog will know that I think the war in Afghanistan is futile and unwinnable.

I am heartened to read that the Afghanistan Study Group in Washington agrees with me, and for pretty much the same reasons. The link to their recently published report is here.

Walter Blotscher
Posted by Walter Blotscher at 11:15

3 comments:

  1. Michael13 September 2010 at 17:34

    I read it that the report advocated a change of goals more than your bold conclusion that the war in unwinnable. Their scheme suggested abandon the south where the Pashtun wallahs wont be subdued and prefer their own Taliban to any foreign fellows. But hang on to Kabul and the north, which will require a military presence for ever, spend loads of money on useless aid whilst telling the Afghan farmers not to grow poppies. It was a report with more than half an eye on future funding and did not hearten me at all. However I have asked for further views from those who make their living out there.

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  2. Walter Blotscher13 September 2010 at 19:09

    Hi Michael,

    I think they were bolder than that. To quote from their conclusion, "trying to pacify Afghanistan by force of arms will not work". That sounds very much to me like consultancy-ese for "the war is unwinnable".

    True, they advocate keeping some U.S. presence in the country. That, as you say, is face-saving for the U.S. and funding-saving for them.

    Regards,

    Walter

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  3. Michael14 September 2010 at 10:33

    I suppose when reports are written in the style these people have chosen it is easy to make different interpretations as to what they really mean. But we do agree they want to hang on to Kabul- but if we see the President escaping we will know they will have failed in that objective as well.

    I am due to present on the History of British Democracy to a class of nine people from the DPRK next month.

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