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U.S. Pulling Back in Afghan Valley It Called Vital to War

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  • U.S. Pulling Back in Afghan Valley It Called Vital to War

    Already started I guess, Feb 15/2011

    While American officials say the withdrawal matches the latest counterinsurgency doctrine’s emphasis on protecting Afghan civilians, Afghan officials worry that the shift of troops amounts to an abandonment of territory where multiple insurgent groups are well established, an area that Afghans fear they may not be ready to defend on their own
    And it is an emotional issue for American troops, who fear that their service and sacrifices could be squandered. At least 103 American soldiers have died

    and many times more have been wounded, often severely.
    Some veterans worry that the withdrawal will create an ideal sanctuary for insurgent activity
    One of the hardest things for a soldier to understand and accept.........after all the blood spilled.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/wo..._r=1&ref=world
    sigpicFEAR NAUGHT

    Should raw analytical data ever be passed to policy makers?

  • #2
    Sergeant-Major,

    It's an interesting dilemma. Pakistanis have used our draw-down as a club overwhich to beat our complaints about sanctuary on their side of the border. They've disingenuously suggested that we've permitted the same by our troop withdrawal and, thus, allow TTP (Terik-i-Taliban Pakistan) elements to take refuge in Afghanistan while attacking Pakistan.

    Naturally, these Pakistanis fail to acknowledge that a draw-down doesn't include the ANA nor does it mean that taliban forces identified by reconnaissance won't be attacked by NATO artillery/CAS via our advisors with the ANA. Nor, of course, do they acknowledge how the afghan taliban have enjoyed complete sanctuary on their side of the border.

    What does "sanctuary" actually mean? It means the ability to rest, reconstitute, and re-arm without hinderance of any sort. That's what the afghan taliban have enjoyed inside Pakistan and what the taliban WON'T enjoy in the Pech, Waygal, and Korengal valleys of Afghanistan.

    Big difference.

    Finally, we're not the Pakistani Army on our home soil. We are an expeditionary force 6,000 miles from home and don't have full access to all of our forces. It is completely natural and appropriate that our troops be used carefully. That means placing them where we can squeeze the greatest value for their efforts. All the aforementioned valleys offer drainage into the Konar River valley and that's the first strategic point on the map.

    The NYT map is actually quite good in displaying how the Pech river dumps into the Konar river at Asadabad. As it's the provincial capitol of Konar, there you'll find our forces. The Korengalis and Nuristanis are Kaffirs to the rest of Afghanistan. Nuristan (just to the immediate north of Konar) is actually considered the land of the kaffirs by other Afghans. The valleys are tight, isolated from one another and each an entity unto itself. A five mile tract as the crow flies over a ridgeline into the next valley may be an all day venture of 15-20 miles to reach by foot on some of the earth's most physically imposing land. These people want nothing to do with the rest of the world and, now, the world is reciprocating.

    We'll see how the taliban fare among them.
    "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
    "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

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    • #3
      S-2 reply

      Excellent response, fills some gaps for me sir as always;
      Finally, we're not the Pakistani Army on our home soil. We are an expeditionary force 6,000 miles from home and don't have full access to all of our forces.
      Excellent point, to often overlooked by many when responding to such articles.
      Last edited by T_igger_cs_30; 27 Feb 11,, 22:28.
      sigpicFEAR NAUGHT

      Should raw analytical data ever be passed to policy makers?

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