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More Troops Are a Bad Bet
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Kristof reminds readers of the NYT that the more that the British acted to suppress the American insurgents, the more that fueled the insurgents fighting the British. After all the land they were on was theirs they felt and not Britain's. The same is true for the $0 million Pastuns on both sides of the border, the Afghan side and the Pakistan side. He says Americans are not sensitive enough to nationalism abroad. The war in Afghanistan is costing $60 billion ayear. Adding another 40,000 troops will cost $10 billion, enough to send 2 million disadvantaged children to a solid preschool, or could be as high as $40 billion extra, which over 10 years would pay for almost half of health care reform. Kristof doesn't see the 40,000 troops doing enough to change the picture much, except increasing support for Taliban as the American footprint grows as foreign occupiers. He mentions that standard counterinsurgency ratios of troops to civilians would require 650,000 troops including Afghans.
The view of Colin Powell on the expansion of the war in Afghanistan.
09/27/2009
Will more troops make a difference is the crucial question asked.
Grouped Articles
New York Times 09/28/2009
Plan to Boost Afghan Forces Splits Obama Advisers
New York Times 09/27/2009
Gates Doubts U.S.'s Afghan Strategy
Wall Street Journal 10/01/2009
Several Afghan Strategies, None a Clear Choice
New York Times 10/01/2009
Report Cites Firefight as Lesson on Afghan War
New York Times 10/03/2009
Reconciliation Efforts in Afghanistan Flounder
Washington Post 10/14/2009
Veteran reporter Dexter Filkins of the NYT talks with McChrystal and looks at the war upfront.
09/07/2008
Dexter Wilkins author of "The Forever War," reports what he has found. One of the things he says is that McChrystal has not thought through the implications for his more boots on the ground policy, when the Karzai government is increasingly seen as an illegitimate and unpopular government. McChrystal's background as a Special Forces commander has not prepared him for grasping its implications. The other is the allergy of the Afghan people to foreign boots, and the vast mountainous terrain, total breakdown or lack of infrastructure, and a people tired of the war. The Pashtuns in Pakistan can be added to this picture. The economic development programs in rural areas are faltering. This may make the Iraqi solution of Petraeus unworkable in Afghanistan, something else may be needed.
Grouped Articles
Weakening, possible firing of McChrystal compounds sense of peril in Afghanistan
Washington Post 06/23/2010
Questions for General McChrystal
New York Times 06/01/2009
New York Times 10/18/2009
In Kabul, Little Hope That a Runoff Will Be Fair
New York Times 10/14/2009
Biden No Longer a Lone Voice on Afghanistan
New York Times 10/14/2009
New York Times 10/14/2009
The cost of the war in Afghanistan in priorities at home that are neglected.
10/06/2009
What would the $10 billion to $40 billion extra that 40,000 additional troops would cost buy here in the US to meet urgent needs at home. At $10 billion it could send two million disadvantaged children to a solid preschool, and at $40 billion it could, over 10 years, pay for half the cost of health care reform. And that is not counting the estimated $60 billion it takes to maintain the current trrop level.
Grouped Articles
The Wars That America Forgot About
New York Times 10/17/2010
New York Times 10/06/2009
New York Times 10/22/2009
New York Times 11/10/2009
High Costs Weigh on Troop Debate for Afghan War
New York Times 11/15/2009
The War: A Trillion Can Be Cheap
New York Times 07/24/2010
Pakistan's view on the debate in Washington about sending more troops and expansion of war in Afghanistan.
10/01/2009
Foreign Minister Qureshi at the Journal's offices in New York says it would mean the Pakistani Taliban would threaten Islamabad, there would be more misery, suicide bombings, and hurt the economy badly. But Qureshi speaks for an increasingly unpopular Zardari administration. The army, opposition parties, and the Intelligence agencies, and increasingly the public sentiment is against an expanded American presence in Afghanistan, or a bigger American footprint in Afghinstan and Pakistan. See Rosenberg in WSJ.
Grouped Articles
How the Pakistani Taliban Became a Deadly Force
New York Times 12/16/2014
Wall Street Journal 10/01/2009
Several Afghan Strategies, None a Clear Choice
New York Times 10/01/2009
Reconciliation Efforts in Afghanistan Flounder
Washington Post 10/14/2009
Pakistan Attacks Show Tightening of Militant Links
New York Times 10/16/2009
U.S. deeply split on troop increase for Afghan war
Washington Post 10/21/2009
Prof. Pape shows the escalation of bombings targeting western troops after Afghanistan troop level escalation in years since 2005.
10/15/2009
Prof. Pape of the University of Chicago points to the link between the escalation of bombings targeted at western forces as foreign occupiers and the increase in troops after 2005. About 100,000 foreign troops are on Afghan soil. A military presence without boots on the ground of this magnitude to be seen as foreign occupiers is needed as that will fail in Afghnistan, Pape says.
Grouped Articles
To Beat the Taliban, Fight From Afar
New York Times 10/15/2009
‘You Have Atomic Bombs, but We Have Suicide Bombers.’
New York Times 10/20/2009
New York Times 10/22/2009
Kerry Calls for Patient Strategy in Afghanistan
New York Times 10/27/2009
Rethinking the Afghanistan Warâs What-Ifs
New York Times 07/31/2010
Book review: ‘The Unquiet American: Richard Holbrooke in the World’ - The Washington Post
Washington Post 11/13/2011
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