Afghanistan IED overview

[Vanir Ausf B]

there's no hope.

Not necessarily. Although it hasn't been announced for obvious reasons, the Coalition has mostly abandoned it's counter-insurgency strategy and is now running a counter-terror campaign. That is to say they have recognized that a hearts-and-minds campaign with the Karzai government as its centerpiece is hopeless, so they are instead focusing on inflicting as much damage as possible on the Taliban in hopes of forcing them to the negotiating table.

[hcrof]

Not necessarily. Although it hasn't been announced for obvious reasons, the Coalition has mostly abandoned it's counter-insurgency strategy and is now running a counter-terror campaign. That is to say they have recognized that a hearts-and-minds campaign with the Karzai government as its centerpiece is hopeless, so they are instead focusing on inflicting as much damage as possible on the Taliban in hopes of forcing them to the negotiating table.

That is an interesting statement. I'm not saying you are wrong, just could you back that up with a source? It goes almost exactly against what the generals are claiming to do.

[Vanir Ausf B]

I probably shouldn't have said "abandoned". It's more a shift of emphasis. Anyway...

Targeted Killing Is New U.S. Focus in Afghanistan

[hcrof]

Thank you, interesting stuff. I had noticed a lot of fighting for a hearts and minds campaign.

[JonS]

In a very similar vein:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/open-source-wikileaked-docs-illustrated-afghan-meltdown/