Complete destruction of Afghan Taliban not feasible: US General

[Cyberian]

Complete destruction of Afghan Taliban not feasible: US general
Thursday May 30, 2013

WASHINGTON - The Taliban in Afghanistan will never be completely defeated and this year's fighting season is still "up for grabs", the commander of NATO-led forces in south-western Afghanistan said on Wednesday.

"If we think the Taliban will be completely destroyed, that's not feasible. They'll continue to show up," Major General Lee Miller told reporters at the Pentagon during a briefing via satellite from Afghanistan.

“The key is to get the Afghan national security forces to the level where they can maintain security for the populace of Afghanistan," he added.

Miller said that in recent months Afghan forces have made significant progress in their ability to defend against Taliban attacks, citing success in an ongoing battle in Sangin, in Helmand Province, an area that has been a hotbed for insurgents. The fighting, which began May 25, should be over in a matter of hours, Miller predicted.

Even with the expected Afghan Security Forces victory, Miller warned, "The fighting season is still up in the air and up for grabs."

With international combat troops preparing to withdraw by the end of 2014, Afghan forces are taking on new levels of responsibility during the warm weather months when most combat occurs.

Miller said Sangin shows that Afghans are increasingly ready for the challenge, saying that they have only asked for airlift and logistical support, and have turned down NATO offers for more aid.

Miller said the number of Taliban who attacked Sangin was only around 150, but a US military official estimated the number was more than 200.

Those figures include some foreign fighters, Miller said, but when asked of their nationality he said only, "at this time, I'd prefer not to answer that."

In late 2010 more than 20,000 marines were sent into Helmand to combat the Taliban in what was some of the bloodiest fighting in the 12-year war. It was one of the most dangerous places on earth and the marines sustained heavy casualties over several months of fighting.

Complete destruction of Afghan Taliban not feasible: US general | Pakistan Today

 

[Desert Fox]

I believe this fact was already established a very long time ago.

 

[Cyberian]

I believe this fact was already established a very long time ago.

One wonders why America bothers to fight a losing battle? Is it for honour? Did they not learn anything from the Vietnam misadventure?

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

Warfare isn't what it used to be with conventional forces marching to an enemy's capital and getting an unconditional surrender. America learned that the hard way.

General Miller is only looking at the immediate future until the ISAF withdraws in 2014.

The battle with the Taliban is a long way from over, but if the Afghan government gets it's act straight they can slowly defeat the Taliban.

1) Economic development, less people who will be willing to fight for the taliban.
2) Education, decrease the influence.
3) Governance, get a handle on warlords, corruption, and patriarchy.

The Taliban can be defeated but it will take time. If only more personnel and materials were on the ground in the initial invasion much more of the leadership would have been 'taken care of'.

America is fighting to make sure terrorists don't have a safe heaven to organize from.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

We're not going to just walk away.

 

[That Guy]

Warfare isn't what it used to be with conventional forces marching to an enemy's capital and getting an unconditional surrender. America learned that the hard way.

General Miller is only looking at the immediate future until the ISAF withdraws in 2014.

The battle with the Taliban is a long way from over, but if the Afghan government gets it's act straight they can slowly defeat the Taliban.

1) Economic development, less people who will be willing to fight for the taliban.
2) Education, decrease the influence.
3) Governance, get a handle on warlords, corruption, and patriarchy.

The Taliban can be defeated but it will take time. If only more personnel and materials were on the ground in the initial invasion much more of the leadership would have been 'taken care of'.

America is fighting to make sure terrorists don't have a safe heaven to organize from.

Actually, this entire war could have been avoided if the US tried to involved the Taliban (like it was suggested) in the Bonn conference after the invasion that kicked them out of power.

The Taliban lost the will to fight after the invasion was complete, if the US capitalized on this and learned from the past, this war wouldn't exist.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

Actually, this entire war could have been avoided if the US tried to involved the Taliban (like it was suggested) in the Bonn conference after the invasion that kicked them out of power.

The Taliban lost the will to fight after the invasion was complete, if the US capitalized on this and learned from the past, this war wouldn't exist.

Well, there was Vietnam, the excuse US Army was not allowed to walk across the DMZ.

But then Guatemala, Panama, Haiti happened. Conventional forces marching into the Capital and victory.

There has been great acknowledgement by the US Army Brass and Brass of Navy/ Air Force about the ability to engage in the political sphere. But the US Military and politics is like oil and water.

America does not and will not negotiate with Terrorists and their protectors.

 

[Cyberian]

Warfare isn't what it used to be with conventional forces marching to an enemy's capital and getting an unconditional surrender. America learned that the hard way.

General Miller is only looking at the immediate future until the ISAF withdraws in 2014.

The battle with the Taliban is a long way from over, but if the Afghan government gets it's act straight they can slowly defeat the Taliban.

1) Economic development, less people who will be willing to fight for the taliban.
2) Education, decrease the influence.
3) Governance, get a handle on warlords, corruption, and patriarchy.

The Taliban can be defeated but it will take time. If only more personnel and materials were on the ground in the initial invasion much more of the leadership would have been 'taken care of'.

America is fighting to make sure terrorists don't have a safe heaven to organize from.

That's all very nice and pretty my brother but it's just wishful thinking. Here, have a read of what our Generals think (from last year)...

US making Pakistan scapegoat, says Army
May 09, 2012

PESHAWAR – The US efforts to talk peace with insurgents in Afghanistan mean Washington can no longer expect Pakistan to attack all the militant factions on its side of the border, some of whom Islamabad is also reaching out to, reported Fox News on Tuesday quoting Corps Commander Peshawar Lt General Khalid Rabbani in an interview with an American news agency.

In a sign of the bad blood between Washington and Islamabad, Lt-Gen Khalid Rabbani also accused the US of seeking to make Pakistan a scapegoat for its failure to beat the insurgency in Afghanistan.

“Why do they raise their fingers toward Pakistan? It is shifting the blame to others,” Rabbani said in his offices in a highly secure section of Peshawar. “Is Afghanistan free of Taliban? It has hundreds of thousands of them.”

Rabbani was speaking a day after militants in North Waziristan beheaded 13 soldiers, including four that it captured when troops raided a militant hideout. Rabbani defended the government’s dealings with Hafiz Gul Bahadur, saying “at the moment he seems to be trying to keep himself out of the trouble.” Rabbani said US and Nato were in contact with insurgents in Afghanistan to try and “co-opt them into the peace process.” “Similar things are true on this side of the border as well,” he said. “Is it forbidden for us to do the same?”

Repeating assurances by other top army officers, Rabbani said several times that the army would launch operations in North Waziristan. But he didn’t say when this would happen, nor whether it would target all factions there.

“Something has to be done, and it’s in the offing,” said Rabbani, who commands over 150,000 soldiers and paramilitary forces in the rugged northwest. “North Waziristan is the only region we haven’t cleared. It should be done as early as possible.”

US officials have been hoping to see the army move into North Waziristan since 2010, but now believe it is unlikely before 2014, when Washington is committed to bringing most of its soldiers home. Privately, some US officials agree with Pakistan’s stated reason that its lacks the soldiers to move into North Waziristan and defeat the some 8,000 militants there. But others in Congress and the army accuse the force of seeking to keep the insurgents as proxies to influence events in Afghanistan, especially the so-called Haqqani network.

US making Pakistan scapegoat, says Army

 

[That Guy]

Well, there was Vietnam, the excuse US Army was not allowed to walk across the DMZ.

But then Guatemala, Panama, Haiti happened. Conventional forces marching into the Capital and victory.

There has been great acknowledgement by the US Army Brass and Brass of Navy/ Air Force about the ability to engage in the political sphere. But the US Military and politics is like oil and water.

America does not and will not negotiate with Terrorists and their protectors.

Funny thing is, the US actually doesn't list the Taliban as a terrorist organization. Individuals, yes, but not the organization itself.

Anyways, Afghanistan is hardly like other nations. If one looks at history, the only way a foreign power has gained a foothold in Afghanistan is through negotiations. That's how the Brits got the Afghans to accept the Durand line, they fought a war and forced the Afghans into negotiations.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

That's all very nice and pretty my brother but it's just wishful thinking. Here, have a read of what our Generals think (from last year)...

US making Pakistan scapegoat, says Army
[media]http://www.youtube.com/#/watch?v=BqsKnNDqLH8&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DBqsKnNDqLH8[/media]
US making Pakistan scapegoat, says Army

The US Army/ Marines/ other international forces have conducted operations where entire provinces were swept of Taliban. Satellites, Drones and HUMINT have proven that Taliban insurgents have walked across the border, with impunity, to regroup.

Pakistani forces were unable or unwilling to set up defensive lines on the Pakistani side of the border to intercept these groups. And the Pakistani Generals have claimed the same with ISAF forces unable to intercept Taliban running into Afghanistan after Pakistani operations.

Another reason is the Taliban dont have uniforms that distinguish them from the ordinary Afghani. They can just fire AKs, RPG, IEDs and then walk into a house, and no one is willing to point them out.

The economic factor comes in where the Taliban pay a couple $20s to an Afghan to fire on ISAF troops.

 

[That Guy]

The US Army/ Marines/ other international forces have conducted operations where entire provinces were swept of Taliban. Satellites, Drones and HUMINT have proven that Taliban insurgents have walked across the border, with impunity, to regroup.

Pakistani forces were unable or unwilling to set up defensive lines on the Pakistani side of the border to intercept these groups. And the Pakistani Generals have claimed the same with ISAF forces unable to intercept Taliban running into Afghanistan after Pakistani operations.

Another reason is the Taliban dont have uniforms that distinguish them from the ordinary Afghani. They can just fire AKs, RPG, IEDs and then walk into a house, and no one is willing to point them out.

The economic factor comes in where the Taliban pay a couple $20s to an Afghan to fire on ISAF troops.

Unable.

The Afghan gov keeps complaining whenever Pakistan tries to set up a defensive perimeter, and Afghan border police take potshots at PA forces and when one of the Afghan forces get killed in return fire, the Afghans complain once again.

There's no winning with these people, and the PA keeps trying to achieve this impossible task.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

Funny thing is, the US actually doesn't list the Taliban as a terrorist organization. Individuals, yes, but not the organization itself.

Anyways, Afghanistan is hardly like other nations. If one looks at history, the only way a foreign power has gained a foothold in Afghanistan is through negotiations. That's how the Brits got the Afghans to accept the Durand line, they fought a war and forced the Afghans into negotiations.

True, there are factions in the Taliban which are open to 'negotiation'. The only trouble is getting them to accept how backward their philosophy is. Not allowing girls to get an education?

Really?

One of the first things the Prophet (PBUH) did was make an academy to the Sahaba (PBUT) about the etiquettes of Islam.
The Sahaba (PBUT) pointed to Ayisha (RAA) as the person to go to if you wanted to understand 1/2 of the Qur'an. She is also the narrator of 1/3 of the authentic Hadiths.

The White House will figure out the negotiations part, American soldiers are given a mission and they will accomplish it regardless of being undermanned or outgunned.

Unable.

The Afghan gov keeps complaining whenever Pakistan tries to set up a defensive perimeter, and Afghan border police take potshots at PA forces and when one of the Afghan forces get killed in return fire, the Afghans complain once again.

There's no winning with these people, and the PA keeps trying to achieve this impossible task.

I guess you teach them a lesson by wiping out the entire post.

 

[That Guy]

True, there are factions in the Taliban which are open to 'negotiation'. The only trouble is getting them to accept how backward their philosophy is. Not allowing girls to get an education?

Really?

One of the first things the Prophet (PBUH) did was make an academy to the Sahaba (PBUT) about the etiquettes of Islam.
The Sahaba (PBUT) pointed to Ayisha (RAA) as the person to go to if you wanted to understand 1/2 of the Qur'an. She is also the narrator of 1/3 of the authentic Hadiths.

The White House will figure out the negotiations part, American soldiers are given a mission and they will accomplish it regardless of being undermanned or outgunned.

Another funny thing, the Taliban claim that the ban on girl's education wasn't actually permanent. They only imposed it for economic reasons. I don't know if this is true, but it goes to show you that the US side really did use women's rights to try and justify this war against the Taliban.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

Another funny thing, the Taliban claim that the ban on girl's education wasn't actually permanent. They only imposed it for economic reasons. I don't know if this is true, but it goes to show you that the US side really did use women's rights to try and justify this war against the Taliban.

Well now there are NGOs and foreign governments willing to paying for constructing, and teaching in schools.

Bombing schools and throwing acid on school girls doesn't help with this point.

 

[That Guy]

Well now there are NGOs and foreign governments willing to paying for constructing, and teaching in schools.

Bombing schools and throwing acid on school girls doesn't help with this point.

I'd like to point out that most of the bombings in schools are usually done by foreign militants (mainly Chechen and TTP in Afghanistan), and the acid attacks are mostly done by or with the knowledge of the family members of the girls in question. It's one of the reasons why the Taliban isn't actually on a foreign terrorist list in the US, because the US doesn't actually recognize the attackers as Taliban, but rather foreign militants working under Al-Qaeda.

Not really excusing the Taliban, but just saying (•_&#8226