GEN Dunford: We can Still Win in Afghanistan

[AWP]

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is this an April Fool's joke? No? Too late. Fooled me I guess.

Yes, we can still "win" as long as our definition of "winning" changes...daily if we must.

http://news.yahoo.com/afghanistan-war-yet-won-us-general-tells-congress-001118744.html

Even the article touches upon my cynicism:

What, precisely, it means for ANSF to take the lead in security operations has changed frequently over the years.
At one time, commanders spoke of the goal of ANSF units operating “independently.” Military officials rarely use that word anymore, however.
That’s because only one Afghan National Army brigade in the country’s military currently operates “Independent with Advisors,” a somewhat oxymoronic label that is now the highest rating that any ANA unit can achieve.

But then:

Dunford described another “important component of our winning,” which is “to ensure that we deny sanctuary to Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and we contribute to regional stability where we have national interests.”
On that front, some problems remain, particularly when it comes to the Taliban, which Dunford describes as “enablers” of Al Qaeda.

1) Outstanding new name for SF support units: Taliban. "Yeah, I'm an Intel Taliban. It's kind of like James Bond an' shit."
2) Now we're comin' off the rails on our crazy train. No AlQ, the Taliban aid Al Q, so they need to be defeated, but we're in talks with the Taliban for peace in Afghanistan. We're not even trying to define a victory, we're just throwing words on paper like a Mad Lib.

We conclude with a money shot worthy of Peter North:

At the end of 2014, if US troops can “effect security transition, effect political transition, and deny Al Qaeda sanctuary,” Dunford said – acknowledging that none of these goals has yet been accomplished – “we can look at the families and the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines that have served over the last 11 years and say we won because we provided the Afghans the opportunity to seize the decade of opportunity that starts in 2015.”
After that, he concluded, “it very much at that point is up to the Afghans.”

The Emporer's New Clothes. Grab a copy and read it today or try this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor's_New_Clothes

A vain Emperor who cares for nothing except wearing and displaying clothes hires two swindlers who promise him the finest, best suit of clothes from a fabric invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position or "hopelessly stupid". The Emperor's ministers cannot see the clothing themselves, but pretend that they can for fear of appearing unfit for their positions and the Emperor does the same. Finally the swindlers report that the suit is finished, they mime dressing him and the Emperor marches in procession before his subjects. The townsfolk play along with the pretense not wanting to appear unfit for their positions or stupid. Then a child in the crowd, too young to understand the desirability of keeping up the pretense, blurts out that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all and the cry is taken up by others. The Emperor cringes, suspecting the assertion is true, but continues the procession.

Sound familiar?

 

[SkrewzLoose]

So...victory is being defined (in this article) as: ANSF not up to speed, no goals being accomplished, IF this, IF that, with a dash of "hope for the best when we leave".

 

[Atlas]

OR

We could pull our boys out and let "the Afghans oppertunity to seize the decade of oppertunity..." now. Why wait till 2015? In 11 years we haven't succeeded in the points he specified as 'winning'. Why keep putting American lives on the line?

We're so busy trying to unfuck everyone else while the walls are starting to fall down around us here at home.

 

[pardus]

OR

We could pull our boys out and let "the Afghans oppertunity to seize the decade of oppertunity..." now. Why wait till 2015? In 11 years we haven't succeeded in the points he specified as 'winning'. Why keep putting American lives on the line?

We're so busy trying to unfuck everyone else while the walls are starting to fall down around us here at home.

Two words, Iran, Pakistan.

 

[policemedic]

Fuck Pakistan.