U.S. needs new strategy for Afghanistan

The first man of American and NATO troops in Afghanistan yesterday called on the audit strategy that turned the war against the Taliban. General Stanley Mekristal described the situation as serious with the assessment that the success of coalition forces in Afghanistan still possible, which is in a certain way, admitted that the current U.S. military strategy in this country does not work.

"The situation in Afghanistan is serious, but success is achievable and requires the application converted strategy, dedication, determination and a greater unity of all forces," said Gen. Stanley Mekristal, which sent its proposal the U.S. regional commander Gen. David Petraeus to comment further and forwarded Head of the Pentagon's Robert Gates and Secretary General of NATO Fogu Anders Rasmussen.

According to unofficial statements of two unnamed officials of NATO, General Mekristal report on the war in Afghanistan has not sought to increase the number of troops in that country, but it is expected that such a request presented in a separate letter to the Secretariat of the United States for defense.

In his report states that the main objective the protection of Afghan civilians by Taliban, and to take the initiative of the Afghan army, but the assessment that it will not be ready in the next three years, and Afghan police even longer.

Obama is, otherwise, set Mekristala head of international troops in Afghanistan turned to the current situation in the war which sent all the more numerous and more numerous troops and there is little progress in the fight against the Taliban. In addition, according to the latest results of public opinion in the U.S., only 49 percent of Americans believe that it is worth the fight in Afghanistan.

"In the next 12-15 months, among other things, it is necessary to convince a skeptical American public that it is possible to do, to have a plan and strategy that is visible", assesses the military expert Stephen Bidl, which advises the U.S. command in Afghanistan.

While the general Mekristal expressing my report, in Afghanistan have killed two more American soldiers in the bombings, which further increased the number of casualties in an already record year in which they killed so far 302 members of the foreign troops, including 177 Americans.

Obama recently sent an additional 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which will number of U.S. troops in this country go to 68,000 by the end of this year. However, an additional problem for the head of the White House represent the fact that the renewed concern over the situation in Iraq, where the increases and political tensions and fears of all the frequent attacks suicide bombers.

N. R.

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Karzai still benefits

The current Afghan President Hamid Karzai, according to the latest incomplete data, still in the lead in the presidential election. After counting nearly half the vote, Karzai leads with 45.8 percent of the vote compared to nearest rivals, Abdullah Abdullah, who won 33.2 percent of the vote. How to transfer AFP, Karzai won 1.3 million votes, 955,256 votes and Abdullah, and analysts estimate that all the points that Karzai will not have more than 50 percent of the vote, which means it will have to go into another election cycle.

Last weekend was the Election Commission of Appeals stated that among the less than 2,500 received 567 complaints aside serious enough that they could influence the election results. Among these irregularities and voter intimidation were the representatives of Afghan government interference in the electoral process.