Monday, August 21, 2017

"Not winning, but not losing"

Trump speaks to the nation tonight about the war in Afghanistan. Mike Allen, the co-founder of both Politico and Axios media, determined that the war will remain a stalemate under the president’s plan.

“The plan will have the U.S. not winning, but not losing,” he wrote.
The United States has been fighting the war in Afghanistan since October 2001 at a significant cost of blood and treasure — an estimated $714 billion as well as 2,257 U.S. service members killed and 20,257 others injured.

...The United States has been fighting the war in Afghanistan since October 2001 at a significant cost of blood and treasure — an estimated $714 billion as well as 2,257 U.S. service members killed and 20,257 others injured.



Despite the U.S. taxpayer investment in Afghanistan over nearly 16 years, the Taliban is stronger, al-Qaeda continues to operate in the country, and the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) has established a presence.

Security conditions significantly deteriorated after former President Barack Obama declared the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan over at the end of 2014, a move that fueled a Taliban resurgence.

Five years ago Trump tweeted this: "Why are we continuing to train these Afghanis who then shoot our soldiers in the back? Afghanistan is a complete waste. Time to come home!
8:05 AM - Aug 21, 2012"

Trump had demanded that his administration devise a plan that is different from the failed ones implemented by his predecessors.

However, critics of the few Trump strategy details that have surfaced so far argue that the plan appears to be an extension of the failed status quo.

According to NBC News, President Trump has expressed skepticism about whether the United States can win the war in Afghanistan.

Secretary Mattis has also explicitly acknowledged the United States is losing the conflict.
Read more here.

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