Taliban: Obama's Afghan Strategy Failed

The Taliban dismissed President Obama's Afghan/Pakistan Strategy as a failed strategy, stating it has failed both militarily and on the civilian administration fronts.

Zabiullah Mujahid said, in an e-mail, the last nine years of war have proven that increased troop levels have no effect on the outcome.

"It is a failed strategy, not only on the military side but also in civilian and administrative affairs," he said. "Public services in Afghanistan have failed. Corruption, insecurity and also the civilian casualties are a result of failed American strategy."

"President Obama is also talking about progress, but it is clear for everyone that the reality is completely the opposite of what he says," he added.

President Obama unveiled his Afghan/Pakistan Strategy Review yesterday. He said that some progress had been made and that the Taliban and Al Quaeda momentum has been halted and that the insurgents had suffered grievous losses.

Obama emphasized that further progress will not come easily. Success is largely dependent on Pakistan's effectiveness of eliminating insurgents and the training of the Afghan National Security Forces.

The President also said that the transition phase would commence in 2011, with a complete handover to Afganistan's Security Forces by 2014.

In their response, the Taliban claimed that the exit or withdrawal of U.S. troops is not the result of success but rather an effect of increased U.S. casualties and the cost of the Afghan war, which the U.S. can no longer afford.

Mujahid vowed that the Taliban would continue the fight agains coalition forces. He said that "with the presence of foreign forces in our country there will be no peace and security. The interference of foreign forces in the affairs of Afghanistan ... will only increase casualties."

While NATO officials believe they have weakend the Taliban, it must also be pointed out that, as a rule, the Taliban do not fight during the winter months. The proof will be in the pudding, sort to speak, when the fighting season restarts this spring.

The transition phase, which is to start next July, is also contingent on conditions on the ground. The Taliban will certainly look to exploit NATO's public perception of this war and continue its strategy of IEDs, car bombs and infiltration of Afghans Security Forces.