Reply #9: Feingold says no one is arguing for deserting Afghanistan,

[karynnj]

but there is reason to question the overly military centric strategy. Crocker says - no purely military solution in Afghanistan and Pakistan - need to define the tasks of how to get "good enough governance". Need strategy before we speak of troop level. Feingold - Afghans polled showed that more troops not wanted. Hossinie says that some are not happy and see it as occupation, but they still see it as necessary. Feingold - asked but what of more? Hossinie said their fear is LESS, not MORE. They ARE concerned with how troops behave. Afghan society is nuanced, even if it looks backward.

Feingold - Europe asking for metrics and timelines, should we signal we don't want occupation. Craddock - says we need timeline of development of Afghani police force.