U.S. aims to speed shift to Afghan control of combat operations

[bigtree]

November 25, 2011

WASHINGTON — The U.S. commander in Afghanistan has prepared a request for more troops to serve as advisers for Afghan military units, a sign that Washington and its allies are trying to speed up the hand-over of combat operations to the Afghans as they prepare to withdraw, U.S. and NATO officials said.

The stronger emphasis on training may keep more U.S. troops on bases next year and help reduce U.S. military casualties before presidential elections next November. President Barack Obama’s Afghan policy is already an issue . . .

In some ways, Obama is attempting to follow the model he set in Iraq, when he changed the U.S. military mission to emphasize training of Iraqi forces. In August 2010, he announced that the Iraqi military had lead responsibility for the nation’s security. U.S. casualties in Iraq have plummeted, and the last U.S. combat troops are scheduled to be withdrawn next month.

Administration officials said the White House planned to formalize the shift to a more advisory role at a NATO summit that Obama is playing host to in May in Chicago.


read more: http://www.stripes.com/news/u-s-aims-to-speed-shift-to-afghan-control-of-combat-operations-1.161687

[Vincardog]

1. GOOD declare victory and GTFO

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. We lost. (again). Get out (now). Get over it.

[jwirr]

3. I do not think the goal was ever to win - just stay long enough to steal

all the oil.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. In Iraq, maybe. In Afghanistan? What oil?

But, in both instances the main reason seems to me to have been to display America's "tough" image. Which has been a total flop.

[jwirr]

5. The pipeline and bases that are based in the ME were the gold is.

The idea was to control the area as a total.

[ellisonz]

6. A change in strategy is long overdue.

And while we're at it can be just start buying up all the opium already before it gets exported...cheaper than fighting the Taliban.