U.S. is at critical crossroads in Afghanistan

Jim Miklaszewski Chief Pentagon correspondent • Profile

WASHINGTON — Nearly five years after the U.S. military drove the Taliban out of Afghanistan, total victory appears as distant and remote as the long-embattled nation itself.

In fact, after several years of relative calm, the Taliban and al-Qaida have staged a dramatic comeback, adopting the insurgent tactics that have been perfected with deadly efficiency in Iraq. More than 70 suicide bombings have killed scores of Afghan civilians this year, a 400 percent jump over 2005. Roadside bombs have more than doubled.

NATO military officials claim at least 40 percent of the attacks are launched from Taliban camps across the border in Pakistan, where both the Taliban and al-Qaida live, train and operate with apparent impunity.

The Afghan government continues to struggle to establish its credibility and spread its authority beyond Kabul. At the same time the U.S. recently cut developmental aid to Afghanistan by 30 percent and less than half of the $15 billion promised in international aid has been delivered.

Meanwhile, opium production in Afghanistan has exploded. A United Nations report in September revealed a bumper poppy crop produced 6,100 metric tons of opium, a 50 percent increase over the previous year.  

NATO's top commander, U.S. General James Jones, warns Afghanistan is at a critical crossroads, calling it "a moment of truth."

Aggressive assault
As a result, 40,000 U.S. and NATO combat forces are engaged in an aggressive campaign against the Taliban. Last month, Operation Medusa killed more than 400 Taliban fighters in four southern provinces. The Taliban disputed the casualty count but admitted their fighters were forced to make a "tactical retreat."  

Despite the success of the mission, U.S. military commanders were shocked by the intensity of the fight and the increased sophistication of Taliban command-and-control capabilities.

More troubling, though, is the decision by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to end a military offensive against the Taliban and al-Qaida dug deep into the ungoverned tribal areas in western Pakistan.

Musharraf denies that a treaty signed with tribal leaders to pull his troops out of the fight creates a safe haven for the Taliban and al-Qaida, but top U.S. military commanders have their doubts. "I'm very, very skeptical," said General John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East. "I'll believe it when I see it."

MORE FROM AFGHANISTAN: FIVE YEARS LATER

Afghanistan: Five Years Later Section Front

NBC: U.S.’s ‘moment of truth’ in Afghanistan   Then: The 2001 war in Afghanistan   Now: Life in Afghanistan in 2006 Take our 10-question Afghanistan quiz Audio: Author on hearts, minds in terror war Analysis: A fake country, real problems Video: What has military learned since '01? NBC: In Afghanistan, only baby steps Newsweek: The Rise of Jihadistan Video: Afghanistan still struggling Afghanistan: Five Years Later Section Front   Add Afghanistan: Five Years Later headlines to your news reader: