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Taking Stock of the Taliban's Strategy in Afghanistan

The Taliban should not be underestimated. They are an organized and coordinated enemy, and the United States must change its strategy if there is to be any hope of success.

published by
The Online NewsHour
 on September 22, 2009

Source: The Online NewsHour

As the number of U.S. troops and casualties rises in Afghanistan and popularity for the war declines, lawmakers and military strategists are beginning to wonder whether America is pursuing the right strategy in the conflict.

In an interview with Dan Sagalyn of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Gilles Dorronsoro discusses the Taliban’s strategy in the Afghanistan and alternative options for the U.S. Dorronsoro explains that the Taliban are an organized and coordinated foe, evidenced by the four hundred attacks made on the August 20 elections, their slow but successful extension of the insurgency to the north, and their establishment of parallel governments in the countryside. The U.S. and the Coalition must rethink their strategy, and concentrate on achieving feasible objectives, like securing the cities and key roadways.

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