Talk about an "Oh, Crap!" moment:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42743595/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/
This has happened before if you recall but this very large escape is REALLY bad news. Khandahar is where we've just spent over a year in escalated attacks because it was the most significant pocket of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan where they had basically taken over the entire province. It had become an important stronghold for them but after our successful offensive recently completed, it became one of our most important successes in that country. Many of our soldiers died in that fighting. The offensive there came at great cost/sacrifice to us.
Worse, however, is what this staggering level of incompetence means to our efforts there. This totally invalidates ALL our preconceived notions about how stable Afghanistan might remain after we do leave. ALL our assumptions about the expected or hoped for success in that regard just completely evaporated. Many of our commanders' assumptions about how to successfully execute a war there may have just evaporated as well.
Make no mistake. This is a huge setback for our plans, including the plan to begin withdrawing this year.
While Karzai pontificates about some things we do, his 'professionals' in this fight against terrorism appear pretty incompetent. I'd be fine with Karzai never again complaining about how we're performing. It may be time to make a serious evaluation about changing tactics ... do whatever it takes to rid that country of terrorists out to kill Americans regardless what Karzai thinks of it. I'm not sure our current adminstration has the stomach for that but simply leaving would be worse as would continuing on as if nothing happened.
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