WASHINGTON — The general President Barack Obama picked to turn around the war in Afghanistan told Congress on Tuesday that winning will require spending more U.S. resources and killing fewer Afghan civilians.
Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal warned that failure would probably mean all-out civil war and a firmer foothold for al-Qaida terrorists.
McChrystal said that with a proper counterinsurgency campaign, including a more prominent role for civilian experts, Afghanistan can be stabilized and its Taliban opposition marginalized. Progress must be shown within 18 to 24 months to sustain public support for the war, the general said.
"I believe it is winnable, but I don’t think it will be easily winnable,” he told the Senate Armed Services Committee in a hearing that suggested he is likely to win confirmation by the full Senate amid lingering questions about his role in the handling of the 2004 accidental shooting death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan.
Litany of problems
McChrystal would replace Gen. David McKiernan, who was fired May 11. McKiernan said the war is "stalemated, at best” in southern Afghanistan.
The three-hour hearing highlighted problems facing Afghanistan: a resilient insurgency, a lack of effective governance, official corruption, rampant illicit drug trade, unwillingness by some NATO allies to do more fighting, and a spreading Taliban insurgency inside Pakistan.
McChrystal offered no new details on how he would approach the war, beyond saying that it will require a multinational effort, including contributions from civilian experts, over years.
by the assocaiated press
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