Wednesday 1 February 2012

Panetta Wants Early End to Afghanistan Combat Role

Here's a surprise. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta wants the US and NATO out of their combat role in Afghnaistan by the end of 2013. (See the original report here). The French decision to do this unilaterally must have had an effect. No wonder the US has finally decided it has to talk with the Taliban.

The trouble is that politically motivated announcements like this, which are good for the electoral timetable back home (in France and in America) do nothing to contribute to the security of the people of Afghanistan. In fact, they simply prove to those Taliban fighters who involuntarily gave information for the State of the Taliban report that they are right, and if they simply wait, the westerners will be gone.

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