InfoAnda - The West's war in Afghanistan is failing: Crisis Group

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Amazon files patent suit against Discovery: WSJ | 20 May 2009
Insurgents divert famine aid from IDPs | 6 September 2011
NATO ministers back long-term anti-piracy mission | International | | 12 June 2009

Baghdad double bombing kills 25: police | International | | 9 November 2008

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : The West's war in Afghanistan is failing: Crisis Group

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Weekend Edition Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam The West's war in Afghanistan is failing: Crisis Group AFP - Sunday, November 28 Send IM Story Print The West's war in Afghanistan is failing: Crisis Group KABUL (AFP) - – A leading international think tank Sunday issued a damning review of the US-led war in Afghanistan and said NATO plans to end its combat mission by 2014 would lead to the Kabul government's collapse. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said the coalition's strategy to break the Taliban, build popular support among civilians, woo disenchanted rebels and boost Afghan security forces was failing. More than 140,000 US-led troops are waging a counter-insurgency campaign mostly in the south and east of the country amid dwindling support for the war back home as the fighting returns a record number of coalition casualties. "There is little evidence that the operations have disrupted the insurgency's momentum.... The Taliban are more active than ever and they still enjoy sanctuary and support in Pakistan," said the ICG report. The Taliban and other militants tied to Al-Qaeda are believed to hold rear bases in the tribal areas across the border in Pakistan, with rumours rife that they operate with the tacit consent of some Pakistani intelligence officials. Coalition forces have lost 662 troops this year, according to an AFP tally based on that tracked by the independent icasualties.org website, the highest annual toll since the US-led invasion in late 2001. Last year 521 NATO soldiers died. The number of Afghans civilians killed in the conflict rose by a third in the first six months of 2010 to 1,271, with the vast majority of deaths caused by insurgent attacks, according to UN figures. But the think tank's report, entitled: "Afghanistan: Exit vs Engagement", said the planned drawdown of international troops, agreed at a landmark NATO summit in Lisbon last week, was not the answer. The Afghan security forces "have proven a poor match for the Taliban," it said. "Without outside support, (President Hamid Karzai's) government would collapse, the Taliban would control much of the country and internal conflict would worsen, increasing the prospects of a return to the destructive civil war of the 1990s," the report said. The think tank also slammed a peace strategy being pursued with the Taliban, whose leadership have so far shunned repeated overtures by Karzai to come to the negotiating table. The ICG said the idea of bringing the Taliban onboard served to inflame rivalries between various Afghan groups and increased insecurity for ordinary people. "The current rush to cement deals with the insurgents will not help Afghans nor will it address the very real regional and global security concerns posed by the breakdown of the Afghan state," said Samina Ahmed, Crisis Group's South Asia Project Director. Billions of dollars are being spent by the Afghan government's Western allies on development in a bid to safeguard the country's future, but the ICG said the money is simply plying corruption networks and fuelling competing power centres among Afghan elites. The report also criticised US diplomacy for alternating between rebuking and embracing Karzai, who it said was increasingly distancing himself from his Western allies as he juggles various power factions to stay in power. Instead, the ICG said the allies should focus on strengthening Afghanistan's political and judicial institutions and work to overcome the "pervasive atmosphere of impunity". "Parliament is ignored. The courts are manipulated. The army and police are little more than pawns in an elaborate game of chess between multiple regional powerbrokers," said the ICG. The focus of the US-led campaign is moving towards boosting Afghanistan's army and police force in order to hand responsibility for security to the national forces by the end of 2014. There are currently about 80,000 police officers and US and NATO forces hope to bring that number up to 134,000 by October next year, alongside the 170,000 personnel planned for the army by the same date. But the ICG said the police were "corrupt, brutal and predatory", the army was being manipulated by various strongmen, while both forces suffered from a lack of training and low retention among the ranks. The Pentagon admitted in a report last week that progress had been "uneven" in the war in Afghanistan, but in public top US officials and military leaders have said the US military has gained the initiative on the battlefield. After the Lisbon summit US President Barack Obama said: "We are achieving our objective of breaking Taliban momentum." Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Strauss, Cook centuries turn tide for England at Ashes AFP - 15 minutes ago At least 8 dead as cargo plane crashes in Pakistan AFP - 53 minutes ago North Korea "readies missiles" Reuters - 1 hour 2 minutes ago Australia parents charged over child's car injuries AFP - 1 hour 10 minutes ago China surgery probe after death of TV personality AFP - 1 hour 31 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Black Friday shows slight increase in US sales BA, Iberia face last hurdle over landmark merger Ireland works on bailout as protesters take to streets Cancun, climate summit host and example of threats: NGO Queen Elizabeth II attends equestrian show in Oman More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Obama gets 12 stitches after 'elbow in the lip' Computer meltdown leaves Aussies without cash Families mourn at site of N.Zealand mine tragedy Crunch time at bluefin tuna meet Ireland works on bailout as protesters take to streets More Most Viewed » 'Naked' airport scanners may be 'dangerous' EU fines 11 airlines 800 million euros for air cargo cartel Pilgrims stone 'devil' as Muslims celebrate Eid World leaders scramble for funds to save the tiger US, S.Korea plan war games after N.Korean attack More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Weekend Edition Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo! Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Entertainment Photos Yahoo! News Network Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Sunday, 28 November 2010
Islamists expected to fare poorly in Egypt election
PM says Spain ready to 'accelerate' economic reforms
Egypt's court overturns telecom news monitoring
Iraq arrests 12 suspects in Baghdad church attack
Crunch time at bluefin tuna meet
Haiti rally gunfire stirs tensions on eve of vote |
Four policemen killed in suicide attack in Afghan east
Ivory Coast toll rises, army chief urges calm |
Suicide bombers kill 12 at Afghan police HQ
Suicide bombing at Afghan police HQ kills 12
Egypt's court overturns telecom news monitoring
Pakistan offers big reward for Taliban informers |
Islamists expected to fare poorly in Egypt election |
Bluefin tuna gets scant relief at fisheries meet
Carter becomes rugby Test top points scorer
Lebanese premier arrives in Iran |
Hamas faces huge challenges in West Bank: leader |
World braces for WikiLeaks flood of US cables
North "regrets" deaths, South Korea Marines vow revenge
Pakistan offers big reward for Taliban informers
China-friendly party gains upper hand in Taiwan poll
Taiwan pro-China party holds edge in mayoral races
Egyptians go to the polls after Islamist crackdown
Swiss mull tougher rules for foreigners
North Korea readies missiles |
The West's war in Afghanistan is failing: Crisis Group
ETA political wing announces new party 'against violence'
Sudan's Bashir will attend Africa-EU summit
Japan spots Chinese vessels near disputed islands: report |
Italy's embattled Berlusconi calls rally of support
Britain's Prince William happy to wait for crown
Cargo plane crashes in Karachi residential area |
Black Friday shows slight increase in US sales
Slovak municipal vote ends, results expected at night
Haiti votes under shadow of cholera and confusion |
Queen Elizabeth II attends equestrian show in Oman
BA, Iberia face last hurdle over landmark merger
Brazil's Rio tense as police close in on slum gang |
Ireland works on bailout as protesters take to streets
Ivory Coast holds tense and tight run-off vote |
Cancun, climate summit host and example of threats: NGO
Voting begins in Egyptian parliamentary election |
Nigeria detains 12 in Halliburton bribery case |
Somali-born teen arrested in U.S. car bomb sting
Australia's Labor suffers state election reverse |
Australia parents charged over child's car injuries
China surgery probe after death of TV personality
Pit blast threat to N.Zealand coal mine industry
Cotton price surge threatens 'cheap fashion'
Strauss, Cook centuries turn tide for England at Ashes
All 8 dead in Pakistan cargo plane crash
China boats near disputed islands: Japan coastguard
US, S.Korea in show of force as islanders take refuge
Okinawa election headache for Japanese government
Online bargain-hunting spreads beyond Cyber Monday |
Saudi 'regrets' Indonesian maid's mistreatment
US-TECH Summary
US shuts down counterfeit goods, music sites
Gunmen kill 3 Afghans in attack in country's east
China proposes emergency talks on Korea crisis |
Voting struggles to start in cholera-hit Haiti |
Death toll in Afghan suicide bombing rises to 13
U.S. forces kill Iraqi civilian |
Experts split on global warming, highland malaria link
NATO captures insurgent leader in east Afghanistan
International deal struck on Irish bailout
Swiss back ejecting convicted foreigners: early vote |
Police occupy Rio slum and start hunt for traffickers |
Hundreds pour into Thailand after Myanmar clashes |
US drone attack 'kills three militants in Pakistan'
Japan anti-base governor re-elected in Okinawa |
Boy who fled K.Rouge returns to Cambodia a US navy commander
Hope smells sweet as Gaza exports strawberries |
At least 12 dead in Pakistan cargo plane crash
Ex charged in NY with murdering Pa. dance student
Record-breaker Dan Carter proud but not pleased
Amber Alert issued for 3 Michigan brothers
China calls for emergency talks on N.Korea
Oregon bomb-plot suspect wanted 'spectacular show'
BOOK REVIEW: Soeharto's politics during the Japanese occupation
Global minimum and maximum temperatures
ARV drugs greatly cut HIV risk
Piece Deal
Ferrari to launch in booming India: report
Q+A-How will tension with North hit South Korea's economy?
Virtual band Gorillaz is 'human after all'
Q+A-Why are U.S.-S.Korea drills so sensitive?
Copenhagen plans super highways ... for bikes
Britain declares end to 'war on Christmas'
China foreign currency inflows leap 79 percent in October
US cable TV bleeds subscribers as online grows
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01