SWJ: Giving up the Korengal Valley

http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2010/04/korengal-valley-observations/

“More problematic was the strategic rationale. “We’re not living in their homes, but we’re living in their valley,” General McChrystal said, explaining that American soldiers were “an irritant to the people…There was probably much more fighting than there would have been (if US troops had never come.)”

This was true beginning in 2006, leaving a gap of four years in our strategic thinking. Our military strategy made no sense, if US troops were the reason for the fighting in the first place. Hence a political thesis emerged: the xenophobic Korengalis were ungovernable by anyone – except the Taliban. Even that was disputed by the commander of the US battalion responsible for the Korengal. “I don’t believe there are any hard-core Taliban in the valley,” LtCol Brian Pearl said."

by teru kuwayama at 2010-04-17 18:04:46 UTC | Bookmark | | Report spam→