McChrystal faces massive failure in Afghanistan in next few months

[Enrique]

i hope someone has the courage to call this off.

http://www.alternet.org/story/147190/mcchrystal_faces_massive_failure_in_afghanistan_in_next_few_months/

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal confronts the specter of a collapse of U.S. political support for the war in Afghanistan in coming months comparable to the one that occurred in the Iraq War in late 2006.

On Thursday, McChrystal's message that his strategy will weaken the Taliban in its heartland took its worst beating thus far, when he admitted that the planned offensive in Kandahar City and surrounding districts is being delayed until September at the earliest, because it does not have the support of the Kandahar population and leadership.

Equally damaging to the credibility of McChrystal's strategy was the Washington Post report published Thursday documenting in depth the failure of February's offensive in Marja.

The basic theme underlined in both stories - that the Afghan population in the Taliban heartland is not cooperating with U.S. and NATO forces - is likely to be repeated over and over again in media coverage in the coming months.

The Kandahar operation, which McChrystal's staff has touted as the pivotal campaign of the war, had previously been announced as beginning in June. But it is now clear that McChrystal has understood for weeks that the most basic premise of the operation turned out to be false.

"When you go to protect people, the people have to want you to protect them," said McChrystal, who was in London for a NATO conference.

He didn't have to spell out the obvious implication: the people of Kandahar don't want the protection of foreign troops.

(...)

[zipplewrath]

1. May be happening already

This is another in a series of these stories that have been appearing lately. It has occured to me that it is part of a strategy to "talk down" the war so we can pull out.

[harun]

5. They are not being reported on accident. They have a plan.

[GodlessBiker]

2. When the people there learn that we know they are sitting on top of $1 trillion in minerals...

guess what they will think we are really there to fight for.

[amborin]

3. US casualties WAY UP, too

[gratuitous]

4. The next six months will be pivotal, if not critical

And if things haven't rounded into shape by then, well, we'll just have to wait another six months, won't we?

[Blue Owl]

6. Here's a great idea

Let's give him another couple hundred billion to throw at FAILURE like they've been doing the last 5 years.

Wow, what a great fucking country the USA is.