In a recent New York Times commentary, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reflected on the success of the Iraq troop surge and said Americans can be proud of what’s happened in Iraq over the past five years, but he was cautious about whether the surge strategy could work in Afghanistan. “Only capable indigenous forces can ultimately win an insurgency. Afghan forces, backed by coalition troops, will need to move into the most violent areas to secure and protect the local population, enabling Afghans to cooperate with their government without losing their lives.” To President-elect Barack Obama he counseled: “More is not always better. One size does not fit all.”
Of course, this is the guy who botched the occupation of Iraq and who authorized torture.
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6 Comments
I can’t muster any respect for this monster! Donald Rumsfeld shames Americans and America! He should be on trial for war crimes.
Like we should listen to what Rumsfeld says or even thinks? Fool me once…
Ah, the scrambling to revise the sorry Bushco record shifts into high gear.
Check out Leonard Pitts’ column this a.m. As usual, he seems to have more common sense than the average person. And a subtle way of expressing it. And I’m sure every con on this thread hates him. Oh well. Whatever.
Dennis
Will an Afghan surge work?
No. Quite a different place, with different cultural histories and, more important, quite a different geography. There are parts of Afghanistan that are unconquorable, unoccupiable, and lawless, aside from the tribal laws. They have always been so, and will always be so. The mountainous areas, the “tribal” areas bordering Pakistan have eaten up and spit out conquorors for eons, and will continue to do so. We cannot operate there with any realistic hope of success.
The best we can hope for is largely what we’ve accomplished: deprive Al Queda of its government-sponsored sanctuary by driving the Taliban from power, and make it extremely difficult for Al Queda to operate from their mountain bases. We cannot “go in and get Bin Laden;” we never could, once he holed up in that area. What we can do, and in large part have done, is severely disrupt Al Queda’s command and control.
Yea, let’s listen to the sage rummy.
IN part the failure of the occupation of Iraq in the beginning is due to Rumsfield. He wanted to cut and run almost from the beginning. He fought and even subverted the actions of the other cabinet members in their attempt to bring order and success. He disobeyed the President’s orders and instructions not wanting to have a larger foot print in Iraq. So yes Rumsfield opinions are so valid and thought provoking and the thought is “No”.