Good news from the Af:
American and Afghan officials have begun helping a number of anti-Taliban militias that have independently taken up arms against insurgents in several parts of Afghanistan, prompting hopes of a large-scale tribal rebellion against the Taliban.
The emergence of the militias, which took some leaders in Kabul by surprise, has so encouraged the American and Afghan officials that they are planning to spur the growth of similar armed groups across the Taliban heartland in the southern and eastern parts of the country.
The American and Afghan officials say they are hoping the plan, called the Community Defense Initiative, will bring together thousands of gunmen to protect their neighborhoods from Taliban insurgents. Already there are hundreds of Afghans who are acting on their own against the Taliban, officials say.
Far too soon to see light at the end of the tunnel here, but the defeat of the Taliban – if and when it eventually comes – will come because the fiercely independent Afghan people themselves forcibly reject the Talibs smothering, austere vision and explicit brutality.
Another 40,000 troops or so wouldn’t hurt either, but I suppose that will have to wait until after Thanksgiving.
Because of the cerebral pragmatism!
COOL! Let’s hope it works out like it did in Iraq.
I wonder if they’re allowed to call out people encouraging Jihad in the Commissary.
A small glimmer of hope, but one that is somewhat diminished by today’s WaPo article, Al-Qaeda in Iraq Regaining Strength.
http://tinyurl.com/yjhd8ku
And remaining glimmers of hope in AF are shattered for me when I learn the US is paying the Taliban for services rendered, and some of that money is used to kill our troops! Just incredible!
The Nation, How the US Funds the Taliban
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091130/roston
About time. General Rashid Dostam, an Uzbek tribal leader was instrumental in the fight against Taliban in the early days of OEF. In October 2001, his forces numbering about 2000 along with a 12 member ODA team and 2 AF controllers beat the hell out of the Taliban forces (over 5000) and led to the fall of Mazar E Sharif and then the colapse of the Taliban throughout the country.
He has stated that if allowed he could raise an army of 10,000 and rid Afghanistan of the Taliban. I for one believe him. Some are afraid that it would lead to renewed “warlords”. What would be the difference vs Karzai and his inefficient government? I think the warlords would actually work better.
Cerebral Pragmatism, so that’s what cranial-rectal inversion is called these days.
So,
Let me see if I’ve got this straight. We spent the last 7 years busting down doors and taking away the people’s guns and now we’re all happy to start handing out more guns ala Charlie Wilson…..again. If it’s going to turn back into a private fight, do we need to be there?
There doesn’t seem to be much point in fighting the islamic fanatics in Afghanistan if the Army is hiring them and sending them to medical school. I’ve always been of the school of thought that agrees to fight the enemy on their turf and make it easier for our enemies to get to our soldiers engaged in that fight. Now it looks like our Army is keen to support our very own takfiri right here at home. There doesn’t seem to be much point in my approach if the stupid idiots that run the army can’t tell the difference between one islamo terrorist and another islamo terrorist and hires them right here in the US.
I don’t look anymore but one wonders if our vaunted CNO has sent out a message to the fleet, along the lines of his many “celebrate diversity” messages that warns the fleet of the signs and characteristics of your average muslim fanatic wearing service dress.
They’d better move quick if this news is true…
I just got home from church and am in a rather good and civil mood, but this just about undid me. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry is in talks with Taliban, promoting the notion that
Is this Ooh-Bummer’s counter offer to General McChrystal’s request for troops? “If we give you these provinces, you swear before Allah not to attack us anymore?” This isn’t naivete, it is criminal insanity.
I completely agree with the notion that the tribal militias are going to be the force in reckoning that ultimately determines Afghanistan’s future. Bringing in the Taliban, however, is a sure fire recipe for undoing the whole of the country, and will ultimately serve to legitimize (sic) the creation of an almost nationwide terrorist training ground. Just what we need!
Going back to General McChrystal, he can’t be wondering any longer what IMPOTUS has in store for him and the gang. Firm up, General. This IS going to hurt…
Re-creation, wouldn’t that be?
Time for me to crawl back into the bottle again if Chap’s rpt is true. Totally disgusting, but sounds EXACTLY like something Obama would spring for. Another feeble attempt at “peace in our time.” Obama will give McChrystal just enough troops so that he cannot be accused of outright denial of McChrystal’s request (because “honorable” men can disagree on the numbers, right?) while hoping that by cutting a deal with the Taliban he can buy time and keep the cas & costs down long enough to impose his domestic agenda–ALL of it. This guy is going for broke. He is an ideologue who will no more be deterred from transforming American society into a leftist paradise from top to bottom by a mere war in Af than Ho Chi Minh was deterred from imposing his will on the South Vietnamese. These reports of talks with the Taliban are BAD, BAD JU JU. Obama is even WORSE than I feared if that is even humanly possible. This is suicidal naivete bordering, as Mongo says, on the criminal. We are in deep, deep kimchi.
PS: I sure hope Max Damage still has options on that land in South America. Maybe a Ltd. Real Estate Partnership?