Another View of Afghanistan

Nir Rosen is a young guy who has gained vast experience in the wars of the 21st century. In his latest article, "How We Lost the War We Won", he writes about a recent visit with the Taliban in Afghanistan. I'm not sure that 'visit' is the right word. It connotes a more peaceful time than he personally experienced.

Rosen describes a few days that he spent with the Taliban. His conclusion is the same as most of those who have observed the country up close - it is unlikely that we will win this war. Basically, outside of Kabul the Taliban is running the show. The people may not want to be controlled by the Taliban, but they also want to live. Among a number of points Rosen makes, I found two especially chilling:

• The Taliban are now "among the best-armed and most experienced insurgents in the world".
• The Taliban are "not as doctrinaire as they were during their seven years of rule".

Rosen has his own list of losses by the U.S. and NATO - the destruction of supply convoys with as many as 54 trucks, a significant increase in American fatalities, attacks on NGOs, etc. - that echo the words of Cordesman and Gopal.

About half of the article describes his visit with the Taliban, many of whom are portrayed more as fighting for Afghanistan rather than Islam. As with many organizations that have achieved some modicum of success, there are rivalries within the Taliban. Rosen gets mixed up with one of these rivalries and begins to wonder whether he'll come out alive.