Why Are These Men Laughing?

The US defence secretary [Leon Panetta ] has told US troops in Afghanistan that they are winning the conflict against the Taliban.

[...]

Panetta [...] played down concerns about Afghanistan's future, saying 2011 had been a "turning point" for the country, citing lower levels of violence and the successful turnover of portions of the country to Afghan control.

"Clearly I think Afghanistan is on a much better track in terms of our ability to eventually transition to an Afghanistan that can govern and secure itself," he said.

  alJazeera

Then it must be true.

I’m sure they’re laughing with joy over “winning the conflict,” and not over the possibility that the troops – or the American consumers of mainstream news – are being fooled by such a proclamation.

Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reported from Kabul that while the US and its allies are arguing that progress has been made ahead of the 2015 withdrawal, UN statistics that violence has peaked in 2011 contradict this assertion.

"In the east of Afghanistan, NATO's own figures say there's been a 21 per cent increase in what it calls enemy attacks," he said.

[...]

A recent surge in violence along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan as well as deteriorating relations between the governments in Kabul and Islamabad have prompted concerns for the country's future stability.

[...]

US relations with Pakistan have also worsened since NATO strikes killed 24 Pakistani troops near the Afghan frontier last month and Panetta's arrival followed Islamabad's decision to move air defence systems to the area and the closure of two border crossings on NATO supply routes.

Oh yeah, we’re winning.

The US is due to pull 23,000 of its 91,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012 ahead of a scheduled final withdrawal from the country in 2014.

But some analysts suggest Washington is keen to accelerate its withdrawal after more than 10 years in the country, with the Pentagon facing severe budget cuts.

No. Washington can’t be that bright.