Slight Oversight
It's now being said by those who claim to have the knowledge to conclude that in Afghanistan roughly 70% of its geography is open to the Taliban, that NATO and UN forces, despite their 50,000 aggregate presence, are spread too thin, and as a result are ineffective in combating those Islamist 'freedom fighters'. They fight for the freedom to place the people of Afghanistan back in thrall to their bitter view of Islam, their brutal oppression of men, women and children.The aspirational determination of the combined foreign forces in Afghanistan is to strike a death blow to the intent of the Taliban to return to governing that country. That's a tall order, becoming more difficult as time goes by. As the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and allied Islamist militias become more ensconced and comfortable in the mountainous protection of isolation on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border among the fiercely independent hill tribes.
U.S. president-elect Barak Obama envisions a different approach to the problem, inclusive of additional fighting forces, but with the addition of greater partnerships with strategic 'allies' in the region, such as Pakistan, India - and Iran (now there's a stretch). His newly-appointed security adviser, former supreme commander of NATO, James Jones, claims this not to be a solely military problem.
"It turns on the proper harnessing, funding and focusing of funding for the reconstruction effort... If you asked me if I wanted 5,000 more troops or $50-million more to build schools and roads, carry out judicial reforms and move against corruption and crime, I'd take the money." He should know, having been engaged in Afghanistan, and having expressed criticism of the manner in which the war was initially prosecuted.
And, it should be asked, what's the matter with NATO troops in Afghanistan, that they cannot provide the basics in diligent oversight of their own presence in a particularly volatile area of the country? Three of their own supply terminals in Peshawar, successfully attacked, where 250 insurgents struck pre-dawn to destroy 200 supply trucks and other vehicles meant for troops in Afghanistan.
It's obvious that the terminals had been noted for their lack of guards, encouraging the Taliban to co-ordinate and executive an assault that cost them nothing and gained them much advantage in the prestige of an accomplished attack. Pakistani police in the area had been diverted, to the scene of an earlier attack, an immense bomb blast in Peshawar that killed 34 people, wounding another 120.
Big score for the Taliban. Not looking very good for NATO.
Labels: Troublespots, World News
posted by Pieface @ Monday, December 08, 2008
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