Afghanizing the War

[Spade]

Prime Minister Harper is saying what two-thirds of the Canadian public (Recent polls) have been thinking - that the War in Afghanistan cannot be won by foreign troops.

Foreign troops can't defeat Afghanistan's insurgency: Harper

The article quotes the Prime Minister as saying:

"Ultimately the source of authority in Afghanistan has to be perceived as being indigenous," he said. "If it's perceived as being foreign — and I still think we're welcome there — but if it's perceived as being foreign, it will always have a significant degree of opposition."

So, the goal is leaving Afghanistan to the Afghanis to control.

Where have I heard something similar before?

Where is the Prime Minister's line on "cut and run"?

Why has the Prime Minister smelt the coffee?

 

[MHz]

The part he's leaving out is that the eventual leader of Afghan has to be western power approved in such a way as to appear to the Afghan people as being independent of the west.
Now that might work if what Iran went through in '53-'79 can be kept from the Afghan people when that very same system comes to their piece of the world.

 

[Spade]

Excellent observation!

 

[Cliffy]

Bush is gone. Harper is like a ship without his rudder. He can't think for himself without his buddy to guide him. He would have to be a complete idiot not to know that Canadians have not supported his (Bush's) position on Afghanistan.

 

[Spade]

It's hard to be aggressive when your contemporaries have found religion.

 

[Tyr]

The part he's leaving out is that the eventual leader of Afghan has to be western power approved in such a way as to appear to the Afghan people as being independent of the west.
Now that might work if what Iran went through in '53-'79 can be kept from the Afghan people when that very same system comes to their piece of the world.

True enough... but

There are far too many countries in the world (Iran, Syria, etc) that would ENSURE that the Afghan people are fully aware that it's just an American "stooge" they have for a leader.

All the foreign countries have to leave and then have a free election. Whoever comes out on top is the leader and we just have to live with it.