Deploying the Troops

One thing that I kept harping on regarding the Iraq War, and which I continue to mention regarding the Afghanistan War, is that simply talking of numbers of troops needed to win can't just base that number on the total population of the country to be pacified. Nor can it only address US troops as if ours are the only troops that count. Different regions need different numbers depending on enemy strength.

The New York Times provides a useful breakdown of the US strategy for the escalation and offensive we are carrying out this year. It involves a focus on the ring road with an emphasis on a couple southern regions where the Taliban are strong, holding actions in the north where the enemy is not strong with minimal forces, preparing for the next effort, a holding action to defend the capital region, and Pakistani efforts on their side of the border to interdict support from Pakistani Taliban.

The Times would have been better to use the single map to get a better appreciation of the approach, which was provided in the Pentagon report that the article was based on.

None of this is shocking, and I broadly described this approach in earlier posts (see here and here).

We've deployed the troops and we have Pakistan's vital help for their side of the border which reduces the number of troops we'd need to do the task without Pakistan's help.

We can win this war. And we are winning. Just have patience and let our troops do their jobs. And hope we aren't defining victory as creating a modern nation-state that rules all of Afghanistan from Kabul. That could wreck whatever we achieve with our troops.