Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, U.S. Navy, addresses U.S. sailors in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) while underway in the North Arabian Sea on Aug. 27, 2008. The Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class James R. Evans, U.S. Navy. (Released)From The Washington Post:
WASHINGTON -- As the Obama administration considers a troop buildup in Afghanistan, the top American military officer says the war will be lost if the U.S. can't find a way to protect the Afghan people and gain their trust.
"We can send more troops. We can kill or capture all the Taliban and al-Qaida leaders we can find _ and we should. We can clear out havens and shut down the narcotics trade. But until we prove capable, with the help of our allies and Afghan partners, of safeguarding the population, we will never know a peaceful, prosperous Afghanistan," the Joint Chiefs chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, wrote in a newspaper column.
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My Comment: I have trouble believing that adopting a "touchy feely" approach towards fighting an insurgency will work. The Afghan war has been going on for decades. There are millions who are now living in slums with no water, electricity, work, or hope. American or Afghan soldiers may show up and be polite and careful with what they do ... but I doubt people will care. It is blankets and food that will get their attention.