At Cjunk we predicted back in September of 2009 that a Sea Change was hitting Afghanistan whose long-term effect might be the collapse of the Taliban:
The fact is, that starting this summer the battle space in Afghanistan, even for Canadians, is changing dramatically. Thousands of US soldiers along with incredible numbers of aircraft and all manner of vehicle are spreading out into the landscape with the single goal of separating Afghan civilians from the murderous Taliban. And isn’t that the point of this whole dirty little war ... that Canadian critics of Afghan civilians have such a hard time understanding; that until the civilians can be assured that they have protection, they will not , nay they cannot, take a side nor move their country forward.
As of June 2011, it appears that the blood and sweat of Canadian soldiers and their American and ISAF allies may be paying off. Significant bench-marks are being met and evidence is growing that the endless Taliban cannon fodder may not be that endless after all. (content at this link may be offensive to some)
There are, after all, Afghans who get it and who may eventually hold sway over the king of corruptocrats.
I hope it is paying off, but the old Taliban adage "The Americans have all the watches, we have all the time" still stands.
The reality is that it is up the other Afghanis to step up to the plate and take charge. We/the West can't do that for them.
I do understand people wanting to help other people who are repressed. What I have trouble with is the western concept of “moving their country forward” into some pseudo western simulation.
1 x Mcmansion + beach home, 3 giant flat screen TV’s, 2 x SUV’s and 1.7 spoilt brats sucking you dry for useless college degrees in worthlessness.
It still seems strange to me that with all the US/ Nato forces in Afghanistan, that heroin and other opiates 90% of which the worlds supply is grown in Afghanistan, has never been more abundant in western streets. That seems like a real problem and mystery to me. Apparently the Chinese are also a little pissed off that allot of it is ending up in their towns and villages also. It seems very reminiscent of the British/ Chinese opium wars, no?
I will believe it when I see it.
I don't see how the content of "this link" could be offensive. At least to any right thinking person. The scumbags have to be taken care of any way they wish.
They can be defeated if we maintain the objective.
> with the single goal of separating Afghan
> civilians from the murderous Taliban
Except that no one can tell Taliban from civilian and whoever speaks to the contrary is a liar. They are taking our cash, food and fuel today, tomorrow they slit our throats. Read the quran, dorks.
"Except that no one can tell Taliban from civilian and whoever speaks to the contrary is a liar."
So you're calling Canada's military liars? Why do you think we have been so successful? Developing the ability to sort the Taliban from the population they hide in has been precisely one of the keys to Canada's military success.
"I will believe it when I see it."
Go count the monthly IED attack totals. The numbers are way down from four years ago. And when the Taliban actually tried to face the Canadians in battle they got slaughtered, starting with Medusa. IEDs and petty terrorism are signs of military WEAKNESS, not strength. The Taliban has never been weaker than it is now. Even the Taliban are running out of local cannon fodder, which is why they have been relying more and more on foreign troops. And they can't hide as easily in the local populations. Their bases in southern Afghanistan have been largely wiped out and they are nearly entirely dependent upon infiltration from Pakistan, a much harder and more dangerous situation than hiding among the local Pashtun.
"The reality is that it is up the other Afghanis to step up to the plate and take charge."
Did you even read the Afghani Brigadier's comments? They are running many of the operations now, not us.
Cjunk is right to point out that this war is slowly being won. What a collection of doleful pessimists in this thread despite the evidence on the ground. Do us all a favour; go off quietly somewhere and put us out of your misery.
Hopefully this is right or we will be facing the rebuilding of the terrorist training camps once we pull out. I get nervous when you hear talk of peace talks with the Taliban.
Ken, it wouldn't be the first time that a war was won on the battlefield and lost at the peace talks. But that's another story entirely.
I am reading that the Americans and the Afgan government are conducting secret peace talks with the Taliban this past week.
The Taliban can play the waiting game because they have no where else to go. When the military say they are winning I take it with a grain of salt. Are they going to say we are losing?
Canada should not be in the business of 'nation building'. In my opinion we are in Afganistan for two reasons;
1) The Taliban were aiding al'Quieda(?) by training terrorist who attacked western countries. The Taliban underestimated the response to this aid. The example of what happens has been made to the ME. Mission accomplished.
2) The Afgan mission has allowed the Canadian forces to re-equip and retrain. I have no problem with that and a CPC government will continue to do so. I also realize that without a war it is harder to get military budgets passed. It is probably the biggest reason to continue the deployment.
I guess I am one of those isolationist who think the Euros do not carry their weight and I don't want to do it for them. I might be convinced about Afganistan but Libya is way out there. The CPC most definitely do not have my support about involvement there.