By Stephanie Gaskell
The War Report
Army Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti has been the commander of International Security Assistance Force’s Joint Command and deputy commander of U.S. Forces–Afghanistan since July 11, 2011.
At the Pentagon today, he outlined his plans and objectives for U.S. and Afghan forces in 2012:
“As I conduct battlefield circulation to assess our progress and challenges, I emphasize the following priorities and these are my priorities presently for the campaign:
- Maintain the momentum of the campaign, we must relentlessly pursue the enemy and sustain the tactical defeat of the insurgents in the decisive terrain of the south and expand the security zone surrounding Kabul, denying insurgent support areas, caches, and infiltration.
- The second: Accelerate the development of the Afghan national security forces and move them into the lead as soon as possible.
- Third priority: Assist GiRoA’s (Government of the Republic of Afghanistan) efforts to improve public administration; assist in the hiring, placing, protecting of civil servants and the delivery of basic services to the people.
- The fourth is communicate visible, tangible and recognizable progress; it’s really our communications.
- And then fifth: To maintain our agility and planning and force posture, both in the coalition and the ANSF.
- And finally, we must sustain the coalition: The diversity and strength of the coalition has been and will continue to be essential to our success in Afghanistan.”
What do you think? Are Afghan forces going to be ready to take over security in their country? Will there finally be success in Afghanistan, after 10 years of war?
[DOD Photo]
The answer to your question in one word: Vietnam.