In fact, as we have done the last several summers, we are going after the Taliban with more and more troops:
No Taliban Summer offensive this year. Instead, it's the government forces who are attacking, with the targets being Taliban resources (drug operations) and supplies (access to Pakistan for reinforcements and weapons). The main target is Helmand province, where most of the world's heroin is produced. This is where the Taliban make the money that fuels their terror campaign. The Taliban control the local population largely through terror. Unable to handle the foreign troops in battle, the Taliban flee them.
Look, the Taliban and their drug gang allies are certainly a bigger presence in Afghanistan. Factors such as having a sanctuary in Pakistan and the loss of the Iraq front, meaning more al Qaeda resources go to Afghanistan and Pakistan now, are two big factors in this.
And higher casualties are largely a factor of more foreign troops going into bandit country on offense seeking out the Taliban.
But the Taliban are not about to capture Afghanistan. They aren't even close to being able to do that. And by taking Helmand province and depriving the enemy of drug money, we deny them--to some extent--the ability to pay for rabble cannon fodder or even allow the committed jihadis to make a living.
And if more American troops in the border regions and a new Pakistani effort on their side of the border shut down the tribal areas as a rear area of the Taliban in Afghansitan, the Taliban will be even less of a threat.
Please just stop thinking about our Afghanistan surge as if it is rushing in troops in the nick of time to save the fort that's being overrun by the great enemy rushing down from the mountains.
