Just another 5 years
Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 3:48 pm
Apparently the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan has stated that the Afghan police and army are losing too many men in battle and need up to 5 more years of western support before they can fight independently.
If it is 5 more years after 2014 when all NATO combat troops are due to leave, that takes us up to 2019, 18 years after the invasion.
I seem to recall that the Allied invasion was estimated to be a relatively short operation to destroy Osama and his Al Qaeda operatives and then gain agreement with the Afghan government, whatever it was, not to allow any of them back in the country.
13 years later and it looks like we are still not much nearer to leaving the Afghan government to defend itself.
Of course, the proposed Syrian intervention will be much, much quicker won't it?
Err, maybe not.
If it is 5 more years after 2014 when all NATO combat troops are due to leave, that takes us up to 2019, 18 years after the invasion.
I seem to recall that the Allied invasion was estimated to be a relatively short operation to destroy Osama and his Al Qaeda operatives and then gain agreement with the Afghan government, whatever it was, not to allow any of them back in the country.
13 years later and it looks like we are still not much nearer to leaving the Afghan government to defend itself.
Of course, the proposed Syrian intervention will be much, much quicker won't it?
Err, maybe not.