US official feels substantial progress has been made in Afghanistan
October 29th, 2010 - 2:50 pm ICT by ANI
Kabul, Oct. 29 (ANI): U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn has said that there has been “substantial progress” in the Afghan campaign.
Endorsing optimistic reports from Kabul-based commanders in the U.S.-led coalition, Lynn said that the recent offensives in Helmand and Kandahar have inflicted damage on the Taliban.
“We’ve checked their momentum. Whether it’s reversed-we’re in the midst of seeing whether we can reverse that momentum now,” the Wall Street Journal quoted Lynn, as saying.
Lynn’s visit to Kabul and Helmand comes ahead of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Portugal next month that will discuss the unpopular war’s future, amid growing pressure by European allies to start pulling out troops.
In December, the Obama administration is scheduled to hold its own review of whether the counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, backed up by 30,000 additional troops deployed this year, is producing results.
All administration officials haven’t shared recent upbeat assessments by the coalition’s commander, U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, with critics pointing out that Taliban attacks and allied casualties continue to rise, and that Taliban-led insurgents appear to have created new strongholds in previously safe parts of the country.
Since succeeding Gen. Stanley McChrystal as coalition commander in June, Gen. Petraeus has dramatically ramped up Special Operations raids and air strikes on Taliban leaders.
This shift has prompted some coalition officers to wonder whether the population-centric counterinsurgency mission of protecting Afghan civilians is being replaced by the traditional, enemy-centric focus on killing as many insurgents as possible.
Lynn said both approaches needed to be employed in concert. (ANI)
- Petraeus vows to keep Afghan civilian deaths down - Jul 01, 2010
- Gen. Petraeus says Afghan mission made impressive progress despite highest coalition death toll in 2010 - Jan 26, 2011
- US, NATO forces able to halt Taliban gains around Kabul: Petraeus - Mar 09, 2011
- Afghans see change in US command as a threat to civilians - Jul 05, 2010
- US strategy working in Afghanistan: Robert Gates - Dec 09, 2010
- Holbrooke's death leaves major void in Obama's Afghan strategy - Dec 14, 2010
- Gen. Petraeus Asserts That The Taliban Still Possesses The Advantage In Some Districts Of Afghanistan - Aug 31, 2010
- U.S. Senate confirms Gen. Petraeus as new Afghan war commander - Jul 01, 2010
- Special forces winning battle against Taliban insurgents: US, UK commanders - Mar 16, 2011
- Gen. Petraeus Expresses Caution With Respect To The Proposal Of The American Military's Disengagement From Afghanistan From July 2011 - Aug 14, 2010
- Petraeus' fresh guidelines to troops to reduce civilian casualties in Afghan war - Aug 05, 2010
- 10 Afghans, 80 Taliban killed as Petraeus takes command (Roundup) - Jul 04, 2010
- Petraeus rules out any 'swift turnaround' in Afghan war - Jun 30, 2010
- Win against Taliban, Qaeda possible if Karzai does right by Afghans: US editorial - Jul 03, 2010
- Taliban continues to maintain influence over much of Afghan population: US official - Mar 17, 2011
Tags: administration officials, afghan campaign, afghanistan kabul, air strikes, atlantic treaty organization, david petraeus, defense secretary william, deputy defense secretary, european allies, gen david petraeus, gen petraeus, helmand, kandahar, north atlantic treaty organization, organization summit, strongholds, substantial progress, traditional enemy, unpopular war, wall street journal