At the end of the NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal this weekend, the leadership of the Afghan Taliban issued a statement characterizing the alliance’s adoption of a loose timeline for a 2014 end to combat operations as ‘good news’ for Afghans and ‘a sign of failure for the American government.’ At the summit, President Barack Obama said that 2011 will begin ‘a transition to full Afghan lead’ in security operations, while the Taliban declared: ‘In the past nine years, the invaders could not establish any system of governance in Kabul and they will never be able to do so in future.’

In an address marking the start of the Muslim holiday, Aid-al-Adha, the reclusive Taliban leader declares, ‘The enemy is retreating and facing siege in all parts of the country day in and day out.’

How brutal raids are sabotaging the political strategy the US claims to support in Afghanistan.

While Obama claimed that the US and its allies are ‘breaking the Taliban’s momentum,’ the reality on the ground tells a different story. Despite increased Special Operations Forces raids and, under Gen. David Petraeus, a return to regular US-led airstrikes, the insurgency in Afghanistan is spreading and growing stronger. ‘By killing […]