News - National
Politics not getting due attention in Afghan War
Posted: May 6, 2010 6:11 AM by Bea Karnes, News First 5
The war effort in Afghanistan suffers from a lack of attention to the country's volatile politics. This, in a report by the former adviser to the top U.S. general there.
Andrew Exum of the Center for a New American Security says "The United States and its allies have not thought rigorously enough about how U.S. and allied interests might not align with those of the Afghan government." Exum had been an adviser to Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
Meanwhile, two top Pentagon officials have given an upbeat assessment of the war to the House Armed Services Committee. That's a change from recent appraisals by Gen. Stanley McChrystal and others who have said they've seen encouraging signs but are not ready to say the war has turned a corner.
A Defense undersecretary has told the committee that of 121 key regions of Afghanistan examined by the NATO-led international force in December, 60 were considered sympathetic or neutral to the Afghan government. She said the number had climbed to 73 districts by March.
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