Top general cautions: War is at a critical point

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — As Army Gen. John Campbell, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, prepares to step down from his 18-month command, he cautioned that America’s longest war is at a critical inflection point, and without proper adjustments will repeat the same mistakes of years past.

“A strategic stalemate without end is not the goal of this campaign,” Campbell said, during testimony yesterday before the House Armed Services Committee, adding that the United States must show flexibility in 2016 or else the new year will be a re-run of 2015. Campbell praised the decision to keep the current U.S. troop strength hovering around 9,000 troops for the remainder of 2016, instead of scaling it back to around 1,000, as President Barack Obama had originally planned.

Members of Congress, however, voiced frustration that 14 years later the U.S. continues to expend resources in Afghanistan with little tangible outcome. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) used his question time to highlight how “sick and tired” the American people are of the war.

“If I didn’t think it was worth it, I would tell my son to do something different,” Campbell said in response to the criticism. Campbell added that his son is an Army sergeant who had just finished his second tour in Afghanistan and is about to start his third.

The city of Kunduz fell to the Taliban in October, although it was retaken by Afghan and NATO forces relatively quickly. Large chunks of Helmand province, the Taliban’s birthplace, also fell to the insurgent group. A recent inspector general report stated that the Taliban currently controls more territory in Afghanistan than at any point since 2001.

Campbell pushed back against the report and pointed out that 70 percent of the district centers in Afghanistan are under government control or government influence. Only eight of 407 district centers are under insurgent control, he said.

One of things Campbell stressed was that the United States’ dedication to the Afghan campaign and continued involvement in Afghanistan is inexorably linked to fighting terrorism and protecting the homeland. Campbell said that terror groups like al-Qaida and the Haqqani network have been weakened, but still remain a threat. The growth of the Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan has distracted the Taliban, Campbell said, but coalition forces still require resources to contain both groups. He also added that the Taliban has adapted as well by extending the fighting season while also shifting resources to fight the Islamic State.

Campbell’s replacement, Army Lt. Gen. John W. “Mick” Nicholson Jr, is awaiting Senate confirmation to assume command of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. A seasoned veteran of the war there, Nicholson has more experience in Afghanistan than any other current U.S. general.