Wednesday, January 14, 2009

A Sound Basis for Victory

I'm worried about a surge of American troops to Afghanistan.

I worry about whether they'll be used correctly. I worry that too many troops reliant on rickity supply lines are vulnerable. I worry that our anti-Iraq War side will quickly turn on the Afghan War now that the Iraq War is dying down. I worry that the bulk of our Afghanistan problem is really in Pakistan and so not affected much by our Afghan surge.

But I keep getting stories that make me feel better. Strategypage indicates that our commanders understand what they are up against:

NATO, Afghan and U.S. commanders in Afghanistan agree on one thing, the key to victory is tribal politics. It is the tribes that control most of the territory in Afghanistan, and the areas of Pakistan that border Afghanistan.


Will my speculation on the course of the surge hold up to reality?