Sisyphus and Counterinsurgency

[Norfolk]

As with all war-winning plans derived in 30 minutes or less – I stand by for the council to tell me why what I proposed is infeasible and what it is missing.

Niel

Cavguy,

Yours and other's points about having to hold the cities in Afghanistan is utterly correct and utterly crucial. NATO has to clean out and then hold the cities, while the ANA and National Police are given the time to build up their own strength and to assume full control of the major cities themselves first, and then to take the fight out into the countryside. If not to decisively defeat the Taleban and -like groups, then at least to contain them, sort of. Even the best scenario I can think of will still see a campaign season out in the countryside each year for years to come. But that is at least doable. As long as Pakistan keeps treading water, that is.

Edited to Add: The ANA and National Police have no practical hope of securing anything like even a majority of the countryside by themselves; that will come down to making political deals (or more accurately, alliances) with tribal and clan leaders, etc. in return for their joining in a common effort against the Taleban. In short, the National Government has to approach and treat the the tribes as more or less equal allies, not as another outsider imposing their ways.