A US Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division prepares to land inside the landing zone at Forward Operation Base Joyce, in Kunar province, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2009. Image from US Army/DVIDS.For Many Afghans, US Helicopter Crash Confirms Taliban Momentum -- Christian Science Monitor
The Taliban claimed responsibility for Saturday's deadly crash of a US military helicopter, and many Afghans say they doubt NATO's ability to turn back what appears to be fresh momentum for the Taliban.
The day after a helicopter crash resulted in the largest loss of American soldiers in a single day during a decade of war in Afghanistan, many locals say they fear it is a sign that the war will likely to drag on for a long time to come.
For most Afghans, the incident has done little to change their outlook on the future of the war. It has, however, confirmed their suspicions that NATO-led forces have yet to reverse the Taliban’s momentum.
“It is another big sign that indicates continuous fighting in Afghanistan," says Mirajudin Ahmadzai, a tribal elder in Nangarhar province. "That the Taliban can now shoot down a helicopter shows that they are getting more capable.”
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My Comment: American public sentiment is too leave .... and with this weekends heavy loss of life I expect this sentiment to grow. The Afghans are already starting to realize this, and (I predict) that as this conflict continues to grind on and the American public become better educated (like the Soviets did in the 1980s) that Afghanistan is an ungovernable place .... we will leave.