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Gates Doubts U.S.'s Afghan Strategy

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According to a senior defense industry official Defense Secretary Robert Gates worries that counterinsurgency may not work in Afghanistan. According to the official even 40,000 troops would not give enough troop on the ground to protect the Afghns if the north and west continue to deteriorate. Gates is concerned about sending large amounts of additional US troops to Afghnistan. This is acountry with people very sensitive to occupying powers. A veteran of the soviet intervention there says they have an allergy to foreigners and attributes the soviet defeat to this. See the links in Intelilinks He is aware of the the dangers of this, if the expanded military footprint is seen as that of an occupying power especially when the government in Kabul is hugely unpopular, then this would galvanize new armed opposition to the US and draw US forces and NATO forces into aguerilla war of the type the soviet union faced there. It may do much worse if it galvanizes opposition in side Pakistan. The question Obama is focussing on is whether there is athreat to the US homeland security if other options than expanding troop strength are explored.

India and Pakistan and the tensions in Kashmir and Afghanistan.

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Kashmir tensions are rising. And Indian assistance in Afghanistan reconstruction is opposed by Taliban. This complicates further negotiations between India and Pakistan as Pakistan already is going through political transition and the army runs foreign affairs for Pakistan.

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Obama has to look at the unofficial reports on the ground to get the facts, and be willing to change completely with the facts, if he is to accept Vice President Biden's view and advisor Reidel's view that counterinsurgency fight is not possible without a credible and legitimate Afghan partner.

Grouped Articles

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