主题：美国精英对美国选票制度的批判。 -- dolong

A Tale of Two Wars - Part Two

from democracyarsenal.org by Michael Cohen

Paula Broadwell today over at Tom Ricks blog:

"We would be the first to caution that victory is not just around the corner," said a senior official in Kabul this week. He also noted that while some members of the media may have rushed to change the narrative from one of 'all is lost' to 'winning is inevitable,' but quickly clarified that "Neither is true."

Huh, I wonder where the media might have gotten the idea that we're winning in Afghanistan?

David Petraeus:

"I think it is arguable, at least, that we are winning.”

Admiral James Stavridis:

After 15 months as the NATO commander for operations globally, with a focus on Afghanistan, I’d say we have a good chance at success in the country.

Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, the British commander of the NATO coalition forces in southern Afghanistan

"We now have the initiative. We have created momentum,” said Carter, who has overseen the Kandahar operation for the last year. “It is everything put together in terms of the effort that has gone in over the last 18 months and it is undoubtedly having an impact.”

Colonel John Ferrari, deputy commander of the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan:

Ferrari spoke of an “inevitability factor,” in which local security forces, in theory and if trained properly, rise in quantity, skill and state of equipment, sharply tilting the war in the government’s favor.

The Times of London:

"The Taliban are getting an absolute arse-kicking," said one top-level Westerner deeply involved with Operation Ham Kari, the latest big push by US and British forces in Kandahar. "It's been their worst year since 2001-02. We're taking them off the battlefield in industrial numbers. We're convinced that the initiative has really shifted."

The Washington Post:

"There are tectonic shifts going on. There really are," an aide to Petraeus said of the network, also speaking on the condition of anonymity because of lack of authorization. However, the aide added: "Are we at that culminating point where we start to see disintegration? Not yet."

I can only imagine where reporters got the crazy idea that things are turning around in Afghanistan . . .