U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. William Cox provides security as an MV-22 Osprey aircraft lands in Zaranj in Afghanistan's Nimroz province, Dec. 30, 2011. Cox is a armorer assigned to the Joint Sustainment Academy Southwest. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Bryan Nygaard
Afghanistan: US Strategy Changes To Match Drawdown Of Forces -- Long War Journal
Back in December 2009, President Obama announced that the US would follow a counterinsurgency (COIN) strategy in Afghanistan. Since COIN is a manpower-intensive strategy, a surge of US troops would also be sent. US forces would be increased by 33,000 troops, from 67,000 to 100,000. In June 2011, President Obama announced a drawdown of US forces. The additional 33,000 troops sent to Afghanistan would be withdrawn, reducing the troop level back to 67,000. This drawdown meant a US-led COIN strategy would no longer be viable. But no new strategy to accommodate the smaller US force was announced.
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My Comment: A good summary on the change of tactics and strategy in fighting the Afghan war. Bottom line .... the Afghans will have to do the fighting.
