U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joe Lebron, left, Staff Sgt. Riel Magnan, and his military working bomb-sniffing dog, Krash, clear a rock pile along the road in the Tangi Valley, Wardak province, Afghanistan, March 8, 2009. Lebron and Magnan are assigned to the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker IIIFrom Captain's Quarters:
Several related but sometimes divergent reports are given below, followed by commentary and analysis.
Max Boot, Frederick Kagan and Kimberly Kagan, New York Times:
The main challenge is to overcome years of chronic neglect in terms of economic development, government services and above all security, which has allowed the insurgency free access to large swaths of the country. The good news is that the Taliban holds little appeal for most Afghans — a BBC-ABC News poll last month showed only 4 percent desired Taliban rule. The Sunni and Shiite insurgencies in Iraq, by contrast, maintained much greater support in their respective communities until they were defeated.
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My Comment: I am 100% in agreement with The Captain's Journal. I am also grateful that he is able to provide the reporting and analysis that is so sorely needed in this conflict.