US now focussed on hunting down Taliban,rather than winning over Afghan civilians
August 2nd, 2010 - 5:28 pm ICT by ANI
New York, Aug.2 (ANI): Faced with a deadline of troop withdrawal by July 2011, the Obama administration is reported to have shifted its focus from winning over Afghanistan’s civilian population to hunting down insurgents, believing this is the way forward to hastening a political settlement with the Taliban.
According to the New York Times and The News, the new strategy of targeted killing of militants has worked well.
The focus of the plan had initially been to keep the Afghan people safe, set up a competent government and wins the public’s allegiance.
But that strategy has seen little success, indicated by faltering military operations in Marja and Kandahar, plus the spread of Taliban influence in other parts of the county, the NYT said.
Now, raids carried out during the last five months have removed over 130 significant insurgents, while interrogations of captured fighters are giving a better intelligence picture of the war, sources told the Times. (ANI)
- Baradar's capture, Marja camapign unlikely to break Taliban will: NYT - Feb 19, 2010
- US-led forces start targeted killings of militants in Afghanistan - Aug 01, 2010
- US, Afghan commanders claim Taliban fleeing Marja stronghold in southern Afghanistan - Feb 16, 2010
- NATO forces launch major offensive on southern Taliban fortress - Feb 13, 2010
- Taliban refresh their stamp on Afghan justice - Oct 08, 2010
- NATO troops hope to introduce appropriate government after ending Marja offensive: NYT - Feb 13, 2010
- `Scorpion' Taliban send farmers scurrying from area controlled by NATO troops - May 17, 2010
- Marja offensive tactical prelude to massive blitz later this year in Kandahar - Feb 27, 2010
- 'Do-or-die' Battle for Kandahar now likely to be mainly civilian reconstruction effort - Jun 09, 2010
- Afghan leaders distrust threatens American war strategy - May 13, 2010
- US military onslaught forcing Taliban commanders to flee Kandahar, claim locals - Dec 23, 2010
- Efforts to neutralise Afghan Taliban showing positive results, says NATO commanders - Jun 29, 2010
- Coalition routs Taliban in southern Afghanistan - Oct 21, 2010
- 50 Taliban rebels lay down arms in Afghanistan - Dec 20, 2011
- Initial phase of military offensive begins in Afghanistan - Feb 14, 2010
Tags: afghanistan, allegiance, aug 2, civilian population, civilians, competent government, five months, insurgents, interrogations, kandahar, marja, militants, military operations, new strategy, new york times, nyt, obama, political settlement, taliban, troop withdrawal
