Obama's Failed Mission in Afghanistan

[bigtree]

18. yeah, you got me there - but this isn't a thesis

130,000 troops were there to facilitate the establishment (elections) and the expansion ('pushing back' the Taliban) of the Karzai regime. The surge forces were deployed to Kabul, to the border with Pakistan, and the bulk of the forces were dispatched to Marjah and Kandahar and other areas of the Helmand Province in the south.

The surge of U.S. forces into Afghanistan had little to do with al-Qaeda because al-Qaeda was not in Afghanistan in any significant numbers.

Your premise that "the focus became "al-Qaeda" belies the purpose and activity of the bulk of the forces which were not engaged in anything involving 'al-Qaeda',

You say:

"Crushing al Qaeda and getting bin Laden was the effort, which is why many people now say it's time to get out because that has been accomplished. "

That was a dual effort which was not the enterprise of the bulk of the forces the President surged into Afghanistan. That effort involved drones and a border-crossing or two with 'small' forces.

There may well have been a more intensified focus with drones and the raid, but the bulk of the surge forces were involved in trying to degrade the resisting Taliban forces in Afghanistan to make room for their military-enabled Karzai regime.

They supported the regime by providing a perimeter defense in the area around Kabul, and by working to expand the reach and influence of that regime by taking over territory in the south and installing government sponsored rule to replace the Taliban's. The bulk of the forces were involved in chasing down and capturing or killing resisting Afghans - chasing down and killing Afghans that were fighting in opposition to the corrupt Karzai regime that our military 'surged' to maintain and expand in power.