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Afghanistan: Realist? - or in your dreams?

Realistic military analyst Tony Cordesman published a 28-page paper [PDF here] last on the US war in Afghanistan, which serves to establish fairly conclusively how un-winnable that US war has become.

Here's his lead sentence:

"There are no certainties in war, and the tasks that NATO/ISAF and the US must perform in Afghanistan go far beyond the normal limits of counterinsurgency. They are the equivalent of armed nation building at a time when Afghanistan faces major challenges from both its own insurgents and international movements like Al Qa'ida, and must restructure its government and economy after 30 years of nearly continuous conflict."

Contrast that with good ol' Thomas Friedman over at The NY Times having, who, having spent the last little while hanging out with Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff writes:

"After spending a week traveling the frontline of the “war on terrorism” — from the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ronald Reagan in the seas off Iran, to northern Iraq, to Afghanistan and into northwest Pakistan — I can comfortably report the following: The bad guys are losing".

Mmm!!!

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