{"id":13,"date":"2018-07-11T02:53:39","date_gmt":"2018-07-11T02:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/melangedmaculateme.wordpress.com\/2018\/07\/11\/the-war-in-afghanistan-is-still-not-going-well\/"},"modified":"2023-07-28T16:20:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-28T20:20:29","slug":"the-war-in-afghanistan-is-still-not-going-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2018\/07\/11\/the-war-in-afghanistan-is-still-not-going-well\/","title":{"rendered":"The War in Afghanistan Is Still Not Going Well, Forcing Washington to Order Yet Another Review of U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan"},"content":{"rendered":"

matthewaid<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

July 10, 2018<\/p>\n

After discouraging year, U.S. officials expect review of Afghan strategy<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Reuters<\/p>\n

July 10, 2018<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is preparing to undertake a review of its strategy in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told Reuters, a year after President Donald Trump begrudgingly agreed to extend America\u2019s involvement in the 17-year-old war.<\/p>

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the coalition forces at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan July 9, 2018. Andrew Harnik\/Pool via Reuters<\/figcaption>

Officials said Trump has shown signs of frustration over the lack of progress since he unveiled a strategy last August that committed to an open-ended deployment of U.S. military advisers, trainers and special forces and increased air support for Afghan security forces. The goal was to force the Taliban militants to open peace talks with the Kabul government.<\/p>\n

Trump was opposed to remaining in America\u2019s longest war, but was convinced by his advisers to give it more time. He authorized last year the deployment an additional 3,000 U.S. troops, bringing the total to around 15,000.<\/p>\n

Nearly a year later, the current situation is in a stalemate in which Afghan civilians are paying a heavy toll, the Taliban are expanding in rural areas but are unable to capture major urban centers and the capability of Afghan security forces remains in doubt.<\/p>\n

Several current U.S. officials and other former officials and advisers with direct knowledge said the White House had not yet formally ordered the review, but they were preparing for a government-wide appraisal in the next few months.<\/p>\n

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve received some indications from the White House that Trump could ask for a review in the next few months. So we\u2019re preparing for what it would look like,\u201d said a senior U.S. official.<\/p>

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accompanied by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 9, 2018. Andrew Harnik\/Pool via Reuters<\/figcaption>

The review would examine all facets of the current strategy, including what progress had been made, the U.S. troops presence, and prospect of negotiations with the Taliban. It also would include U.S. relations with Pakistan, which U.S. officials accuse of supporting the insurgents, the senior official said. Islamabad denies the charge.<\/p>\n

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

LONGEST WAR<\/p>\n

U.S.-led forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to topple the Taliban government for harboring al-Qaeda.<\/p>\n

Since then, nearly 1,900 U.S. troops have been killed in the war, even as corruption remains endemic in the country and security remains precarious. A recent U.S. government watchdog report found that the Afghan government controlled or influenced only 56 percent of country.<\/p>\n

Trump has vented over the lack of progress in Afghanistan, other officials told Reuters, also on the condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president has asked repeatedly what progress we\u2019ve made in Afghanistan since he made his decision, and how much we\u2019ve invested there since 2001,\u201d said one senior official with first-hand knowledge of the ongoing debate over Afghan policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s voiced his frustration about the lack of progress many, many times, basically asking \u2018What have we got for all that money?\u2019\u201d<\/p>

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the coalition forces at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan July 9, 2018. Andrew Harnik\/Pool via Reuters<\/figcaption>

Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Woodrow Wilson Center, said that if there had meaningful progress in Afghanistan, a review would be unlikely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe administration could essentially say (after the review) that the conditions have not improved on the ground, so what is the reason to stay,\u201d Kugelman said.<\/p>\n

It is not unprecedented for the White House to request such an internal review. Officials said a similar review was carried out after President Barack Obama unveiled an Afghanistan strategy in 2009.<\/p>\n

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Monday, promised support for President Ashraf Ghani\u2019s bid to start peace talks with the Taliban and repeated the United States would be willing to take part.<\/p>\n

He said the strategy announced last year was working, and would reassure Afghans \u201cthat we will support them as they continue fighting to liberate their country and their people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

matthewaid: July 10, 2018 After discouraging year, U.S. officials expect review of Afghan strategy Reuters July 10, 2018 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is preparing to undertake a review of its strategy in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told Reuters, a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,378],"class_list":["post-13","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-afghanistan","tag-usa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1926,"url":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2019\/12\/09\/the-_real_-fake-news-from-three-us-administrations\/","url_meta":{"origin":13,"position":0},"title":"The _real_ fake news, from three US administrations","author":"aslam","date":"December 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/graphics\/2019\/investigations\/afghanistan-papers\/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents\/ U.S. officials misled the public about the war in Afghanistan, confidential documents reveal - Washington Post The lying had already taken hold when the duping began to sell the Iraq war. At least $1 trillion spent in Afghanistan so far. Regardless, the serious, \"pragmatic\" questions are about how we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Afghanistan\"","block_context":{"text":"Afghanistan","link":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/tag\/afghanistan\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1211,"url":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2011\/12\/28\/un-says-afghan-refugee-strategy-a-big-mistake\/","url_meta":{"origin":13,"position":1},"title":"UN says Afghan refugee strategy a ‘big mistake’","author":"aslam","date":"December 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Via Scoop.it - Rights & LibertiesPeter Nicolaus, UNHCR representative in Afghanistan, said the international community had failed to help returnees find a means of earning a living and therefore reintegrating into society.Via google.com","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1594,"url":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2011\/06\/26\/war-in-afghanistan-all-the-data-you-need-to\/","url_meta":{"origin":13,"position":2},"title":"War in Afghanistan: all the data you need to understand the conflict | News | guardian.co.uk","author":"aslam","date":"June 26, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Via Scoop.it - Rights & LibertiesHow can you understand the war in Afghanistan, following the announcements of US troop withdrawals?Show original","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1629,"url":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2011\/06\/15\/afghanistan-worst-place-in-the-world-for-women\/","url_meta":{"origin":13,"position":3},"title":"Afghanistan worst place in the world for women, but India in top five | World news | The Guardian","author":"aslam","date":"June 15, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Via Scoop.it - Rights & LibertiesSurvey shows Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and Somalia also fail females, with rape, poverty and infanticide rife (Top worst countries where basic #humanrights are denied to women http:\/\/bit.ly\/kEKATA\u2026)\u2026Show original","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1448,"url":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2011\/09\/13\/for-some-former-guantanamo-detainees-present\/","url_meta":{"origin":13,"position":4},"title":"For some former Guantanamo detainees, present bleaker than past","author":"aslam","date":"September 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Via Scoop.it - Rights & Liberties Some former Guantanamo detainees say the toll that the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan took on their country is a bigger curse than the years they spent locked up.Show original","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1699,"url":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2011\/05\/02\/jsoc-the-black-ops-force-that-took-down-bin-laden\/","url_meta":{"origin":13,"position":5},"title":"JSOC: The Black Ops Force That Took Down Bin Laden","author":"aslam","date":"May 2, 2011","format":"link","excerpt":"Jeremy Scahill writes: Both President Bush and President Obama have reserved the right for US forces to operate lethally and unilaterally in any country across the globe in pursuit of alleged high value terrorists. The Obama administration\u2019s expansion of US Special Operations activities globally has been authorized under a classified\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"JSOC\"","block_context":{"text":"JSOC","link":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/tag\/jsoc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2108,"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13\/revisions\/2108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}