Natynczyk says Afghanistan situation is worsening

At least Natynczyk is willing to modify his line somewhat in light of obvious facts. However he neglects to notice that there have also been security problems lately in the west of Afghanistan far from the Pakistan border. Natyncyzyk is toeing the U.S. line however that more troops are what is most necessary even though many experts claim that this will not help. One thing is sure and that is that there will be more casualties then. The attempts to reduce troop casualties by air support is probably counterproductive in that it results in bombing of innocent civilians which in a tribal society creates whole family groups eager to wreak revenge on the occupiers. The argument for more troops is presented well enough by Natycyzyk but it is doubtful that there will ever be enough troops to pacify the whole country. Before that happens Karzai or whoever is in power will probably broker a deal with insurgents or at least many of them with or without allied blessings. Or maybe the U.S. can put some Taliban groups on the payroll in exchange for nominal support of the Karzai government!

Natynczyk says Afghanistan situation is worsening
Updated Sun. Jul. 20 2008 4:42 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Despite the significant gains Canadian troops have achieved in Afghanistan, Gen. Walter Natynczyk admitted Sunday the country's overall situation is worsening.
Canada's top soldier told CTV's Question Period that insurgent attacks have increased year over year, specifically in some parts of the country.
"You have a worsening security situation, especially localized in three areas -- the Kabul area, in the Regional Command East, where the Americans are, and in the south where we are with the British forces and the Dutch," he said.
The statement appeared to backtrack from what Natynczyk said earlier this month after he completed his first visit to Afghanistan as the Chief of Defence Staff.
On a five-day visit to the region, Natynczyk put a positive spin on security issues in the war-torn country, which has seen a resurgence of Taliban activity. Natynczyk, who became the country's top soldier on July 2, had said the increased violence is negligible.
"We're generally along the same lines as we have been the past few years,'' Natynczyk said at a news conference on July 13 at Kandahar Airfield. "Looking at the statistics, we're just a slight notch -- indeed an insignificant notch -- above where we were last year.''
On Sunday, Natynczyk agreed with statistics presented on Question Period that suggested year-to-year violence was up 34 per cent.
"The statistics you cite are absolutely true," he said.
"On the other hand, when I was in Kandahar, from a soldiers' perspective, what they see are localized, fragile signs of success."
He noted the Taliban "is throwing everything against" NATO troops and Afghan security forces in an effort to undermine the government ahead of next year's elections. Natynczyk reiterated the need for more NATO troops to help quell insurgent violence.
"In a counterinsurgency, it is troop intensive. It's not enough just to clear the Taliban out ... you need to have that security blanket to ensure that there is time for police and the army to have that capacity to address their own security," he said.
Natynczyk said that NATO troops have helped the country make significant improvements. He said Canadians have helped train police officers who are respected by the local population, and Afghan battalions have increasingly taken on roles to protect major regions of the country.