Summary
The partisan debate over whether the Iraq war has diverted needed resources from the effort in Afghanistan has generated some baseless charges and unrealistic expectations. The strategy in Afghanistan differs markedly from the approach in Iraq, relying mostly on a small number of mobile troops with evolving responsibilities. There are about 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and about 15,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The difference in the tactical planning of the two theaters was highlighted in February, when U.S. officials said U.S. troops had been moving from fortified bases into Afghan villages.
Military and civilian planners can be faulted for shifting away from Afghanistan some human resources and for failing to devote sufficient resources for longer-range goals. But some prestigious opinion-makers have criticized the campaign in Afghanistan for failing to secure goals that can't realistically be attained in a 3 1/2-year period - without significant bloodshed. These critics wrongly suggest coalition forces can single-handedly counter certain challenges, such as those related to ingrained tribal customs.See the full content of this document
Extract
Afghan-Iraq Strategies
One of the main criticisms making the rounds is that military and civilian forces have failed to improve the rights of women in Afghanistan. If the country is to be a model...
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