U.S. Army Pvt. John Torres, of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Lethal Warrior, provides over watch security in Qatar Kala, Afghanistan, on May 6, 2010. DoD photo by Spc. David A. Jackson, U.S. Army. (Released)From Special Forces:
This week, we reached a grim milestone in Afghanistan: 1,000 U.S. troops killed since the war began in 2001. It is a sober reminder of the cost of the conflict, and every new military casualty will test the patience and resolve of the American public. But it’s another casualty list – the unknown number of Afghan civilians killed in our operations there – that is much more central to the ultimate outcome of the war.
If we want to win – defeating the Taliban and dealing a decisive blow to Al Qaeda in the region – our troops must pursue a new strategy to minimize them. Specifically, we should borrow a page from two unlikely people: a little-known military officer and the world leader nobody today seems to trust, Afghan president Hamid Karzai.
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My Comment: I agree with this commentary, but I must also admit that there is a part of me that believes that the tide of battle has now changed in favor of the Taliban. Coupled this with a lack of will among our allies in NATO .... and maybe in Washington itself .... to continue with this fight .... we now have a scenario in which I doubt a positive outcome will come out from it.