19 true things generals can't say in public about the Afghan war

19 true things generals can't say in public about the Afghan war: A helpful primer

Here is a list of 19 things that many insiders and veterans of Afghanistan agree to be true about the war there, but that generals can't say in public.

- Pakistan is now an enemy of the United States.

- We don't know why we are here, what we are fighting for, or how to know if we are winning.

- The strategy is to fight, talk, and build. But we're withdrawing the fighters, the Taliban won't talk, and the builders are corrupt.

- Karzai's family is especially corrupt.

- We want President Karzai gone but we don't have a Pushtun successor handy.

- But the problem isn't corruption, it is which corrupt people are getting the dollars. We have to help corruption be more fair.

- Another thing we'll never stop here is the drug traffic, so the counternarcotics mission is probably a waste of time and resources that just alienates a swath of Afghans.

- Making this a NATO mission hurt, not helped. Most NATO countries are just going through the motions in Afghanistan as the price necessary to keep the US in Europe

- Yes, the exit deadline is killing us.

- Even if you got a deal with the Taliban, it wouldn't end the fighting.

- The Taliban may be willing to fight forever. We are not.

- Yes, we are funding the Taliban, but hey, there's no way to stop it, because the truck companies bringing goods from Pakistan and up the highway across Afghanistan have to pay off the Taliban. So yeah, your tax dollars are helping Mullah Omar and his buddies. Welcome to the neighborhood.

- Even non-Taliban Afghans don't much like us.

- Afghans didn't get the memo about all our successes, so they are positioning themselves for the post-American civil war .

- And they're not the only ones getting ready. The future of Afghanistan is probably evolving up north now as the Indians, Russians and Pakistanis jockey with old Northern Alliance types. Interestingly, we're paying more and getting less than any other player.

- Speaking of positioning for the post-American civil war, why would the Pakistanis sell out their best proxy shock troops now?

- The ANA and ANP could break the day after we leave the country.

- We are ignoring the advisory effort and fighting the "big war" with American troops, just as we did in Vietnam. And the U.S. military won't act any differently until and work with the Afghan forces seriously until when American politicians significantly draw down U.S. forces in country-when it may be too damn late.

- The situation American faces in Afghanistan is similar to the one it faced in Vietnam during the Nixon presidency: A desire a leave and turn over the war to our local allies, combined with the realization that our allies may still lose, and the loss will be viewed as a U.S. defeat anyway.

So keep believing that ``we are winning`` in Afghanistan or there's ``progress`` because it's all lies.

What does Pakistan have to do with Afghanistan...?

Great find overall. All stuff that those of us here on ATS presumed to be true.

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


Pakistan is where alot of supplies for fighters in Afghanistan comes from and it is known that elements within the pakistani government support the Taliban

Its as simple as packing up and going home! Just look at Iraq Not exactly rocket science imo

If the US Military is not allowed to fight it as a War, instead of this stupid idea of Nation Building and winning hearts and minds, we need to bring our troops home yesterday.

"the sting of the scorpion, the venom of the cobra and the vengence of the afghan people.'

Then there is the COST of the war. But I don't see generals complaining about that, Iraq/Afghanistan has been a gravy train for them.

Just as Russia and England found out it isn't possible to control Afghanistan, It's too big, too mountainous and the populace too spread out and well-armed. I knew before we went in that we would be leaving with our tails between our legs but everyone said "dude, we'll kick their asses, the Russians didn't have the weapons we have now..blah, blah blah" How's that war fever feeling now chickenhawks?
The Taliban was willing to hand over Bin Laden if we could simply produce evidence of his involvement in 9/11 which we couldn't do because it was a lie from the get-go. Just like his daddy's war in Iraq we went in with no clear plan or objectives or even exit strategy. We just figured we could bomb them back to the stone age and we'd have won.
Worked out great for Halliburton and the manufacturers of ordinance but nobody else.
It's well past time for us to leave, unless of course the Heroin trade is just too profitable for the CIA to give up.

The Afghans aren't willing to fight for their own country.......I see no reason why we should. No country has been able to control Afghanistan for very long, mainly due to the tribal nature of the Afghans. They don't won't a strong central government. If a country's citizens aren't willing to fight for and defend their own country, it really shouldn't be defined as a country. Afghanistan has been and probably always will be ......... a failed State. Unless there are a whole lot of natural resources to be had......it's not worth our effort or blood to help them anymore. It's painfully obvious that there is no one in Afghanistan able to get them to change their ways. As soon as we leave, Karzai will either be flying out with us or get killed. It's too bad that there doesn't seem to be enough Afghan citizens willing to put forth the effort to make improvements. We spent enough time, money and blood trying to get it going.

Originally posted by pavil
The Afghans aren't willing to fight for their own country........

er... people in Afghanistan have been fighting for their country pretty much non-stop since 1978. And from a greater historical perspective, say, over the last 300 years or so, it's pretty hard to find a group of people anywhere in the world more willing to "fight for their country". You don't get the name "Graveyard of Empires" because you're afraid to fight.

The problem is that the aims of the current war/occupation/government in office are not in line with what the majority of Afghan want. And the people who made those policies did so without even a basic knowledge of Afghan society, and ignored the opinions of people (like the Generals mentioned in the OP) who knew the score, to score political points at home or win contracts. Afghanistan goes beyond talking points, and it always has.

Originally posted by pavil
The Afghans aren't willing to fight for their own country.......I see no reason why we should.

..............It's too bad that there doesn't seem to be enough Afghan citizens willing to put forth the effort to make improvements. We spent enough time, money and blood trying to get it going.

They are not willing to fight for America or the brand of government we are trying to install there. Make no mistake, we aren't going to let a real democracy flourish there. God forbid the Afghan people elect someone we don't like....(i.e. won't be in our back pocket)

They've been through this all before. Experience teaches them to sit back, stay alive and wait til we leave before sticking their neck out and working on governing.

reply to post by pavil

The Afghans aren't willing to fight for their own country.

Some are fighting. But really would you fight if the Chinese invaded and put a puppet as government who robbed the countries resources and bombed your neighborhood every day and probably killed your friends or your family over the years? I think not.

NATO needs to get the hell out of there.

Not called the Graveyard of Empires for nothing ! They kicked the English and the Russians out and the way things are looking the US will have to follow suit soon as they've lost their ally Pakistan to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. One thing i have read is opium production is up 1500% since the invasion so the anti-narcotics program isn't working to well especially as Hamid Karzai keeps letting opium smugglers out of prison ( hmm wonder if he's corrupt hehe)

It's messed up, best thing the US and allies can do is leave as quickly as possible

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine
What does Pakistan have to do with Afghanistan...?

Great find overall. All stuff that those of us here on ATS presumed to be true.

edit on 15-11-2011 by My.mind.is.mine because: (no reason given)

T.A.P.I. Pipeline. The A is for Afghanistan, the P is for Pakistan. Google it.
Most of the guys I've talked to indicate they know about, and have seen the pipeline. That's pretty much where the conversation stops.

Originally posted by AP-Chris


They've been through this all before. Experience teaches them to sit back, stay alive and wait til we leave before sticking their neck out and working on governing.

Yeah but even then, they can't get their collective act together. All they do is Warlord vs Warlord or Tribe vs Tribe fighting. I doubt Afghanistan will ever have a really viable Central Government. It truly seems a country hellbent on staying a bunch of little fiefdoms. None of those leaders want a strong central government as it cuts into their "piece of the action". Personally, I am not willing to spend more effort on our part trying to get them to change. As long as they don't attack or harbor attackers of us, they can have their petty squabbles with each other. Afghanistan is simply a place that doesn't want to be a real nation, or else they would do it themselves.

Good luck to them once NATO is gone from their land........ we will see how much they will like it. Karzai will be wishing we were still there, he's first on the chopping block, I bet. I give him two months after we leave before he meets his end.


We have squandered enough there.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Its the British army not the english army,and dont forget our lads/girls are dying in Helmand as we speak.It is not an american war unfortunatly our pathetic goernment has its tounge so far up your arse that they agreed to send our lads/girls in to do the hard graft.

They don't want to be a nation-state. That's a western concept, and a western goal. They would rather be a part of a pan-Islamist Caliphate, if possible.

As far as harboring attackers against the west, goes---they cannot help it. It's who they are.

Just as much as allowing freedom of religion in America means that some right wing churches will always fund Israel

Originally posted by tovenar

They don't want to be a nation-state. That's a western concept, and a western goal. They would rather be a part of a pan-Islamist Caliphate, if possible.

Somehow, I don't think the Drug Warlords really want that either.......

Its all about money.
wars cost a Lot of money.
and they get to test them on people.

there is nothing better than to test wepons on people.
and so what if civilions get killed.
it just adds to the test.

they get to train troops in a live fire training.
so what if some die.
the ones left are the best of the best.
be Proud......

dont you just love war!
Its just like a computer game.

reply to post by marvinthemartian


My apologies, sir. British army is correct, in either case of the current or formers wars. Kipling's Khyber pass was an ode to the failed attempt by Britain and her colonial troops to fight their way into Afghanistan.

Yes, the UK is so close to the US that it might well be compared to an extra appendage dangling from the body of Uncle Sam like a tumor grown to hideous proportions.
Despite our common drive for Empire I have a deep and abiding affection for all things English with the exception of cuisine which you chaps seem to lack entirely. Ah, but no one is perfect.