Taliban attacks in Afghanistan surge as Coalition ends combat mission - The Long War Jo... - 0 views
www.longwarjournal.org/...taliban_attacks_in_a.php
war & peace Afghanistan U.S.-foreign-policy U.S.-combat-role restarted
shared by Paul Merrell on 15 Dec 14
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The Taliban followed up two deadly attacks in Kabul earlier last week with a series of bombings, assaults, and suicide attacks in the capital and four provinces over the weekend. Twelve de-mining personnel, 11 Afghan soldiers and police, two Coalition troops, and a Supreme Court official are among those killed.
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The Taliban have increased offensive operations in Kabul and the provinces as the US and NATO are ending the combat mission in Afghanistan. The rise in violence has forced the US to change the rules of engagement for next year and allow forces to conduct combat missions, as well as keep an additional 1,000 troops in country (10,800 troops will remain in Afghanistan as opposed to the planned 9,800).
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Well, Obama's end to the U.S. combat role in just ended. U.S. combat troops are back in action. An analogous situation might have been if the U.S. reinvaded South Viet Nam just as the last helicopter lifted off from the U.S. Embassy carrying refugees from the North Vietnamese onslaught. Some wars can't be won. Viet Nam is one of them. Afghanistan is another. The time when the Taliban will not take over soon after the U.S. removes its combat troops will never come. But not being the President who lost a war is apparently far more important in the White House than the expense of even more lives wasted in a military stalemate. At least Mikhail Gorbachev had the sense to get out of Afghanistan when he recognized that the Soviets were were incapable of winning their futile war. But not Barack Obama, who is increasingly looking like the sorriest excuse for a President that the U.S. ever had.