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Petraeus scraps McChrystal's plan to secure Kandahar

General David Petraeus, scrapped his predecessor's plan to secure the southern city of Kandahar on Sunday.

Agencies/express July 25, 2010

KABUL: New US commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, scrapped his predecessor's plan to secure the southern city of Kandahar on Sunday.

Petraeus has decided that a full-scale military encirclement and invasion was not an appropriate model to tackle the Taliban. His decision to revise the strategy comes just weeks following the abrupt dismissal of Gen Stanley McChrystal.

Petraeus is reported to believe that the operation must be a broad-ranging counter-insurgency campaign, involving more troops working with local militias. The US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, said on Saturday that the US-led strategy in southern Afghanistan was undergoing sweeping changes.

COMMENTS (1)

S .Nazir Mohmand | 14 years ago | Reply This what is called fiat accomplice, the plan was in the closet getting dust, and awaiting much needed resource and coordination. The reasons for abandoning the plan are politico-military. The rider clause in a counter –insurgency operation is the support of the local populace, which is not there and the use of ground forces to clear and hold the ground gained. The requisite resources are not there and the occupation forces are shy of casualties, which they call the body bags. The overwhelming and indiscriminate use of air power is of little use due hide and seek nature of the operation and the excessive collateral damage involved to the detriment of the occupation forces. The situation on ground is not going to change in the near future in favour of occupation forces,, rather the anti tide is going to run high, therefore even the modified plan may kiss the dust. Instead it will be wise for the occupation forces to concentrate on the modalities of exit plan, and reach some rapprochement with the insurgents by spinning out the political forces to mend the fences.

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