Gen. Keane, who last visited Afghanistan in September, said the situation on the ground is changing for the better and if this momentum continues, by next spring “we will have definable progress that will be self-evident to anyone.”
He said the surge of U.S. troops was working and cited an “erosion of the will of the enemy” and a “breakdown of its morale” as key indicators of this progress.
Gen. Keane said every coalition commander he met while in Afghanistan had evidence of Taliban fighters reaching out to switch sides. “Sometimes it was just a handful and in others as much as 200… that is a very significant factor,” he said.
Mr. Neumann, meanwhile, said it was important to check a desire for instant results and cautioned against exaggerating progress.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Ashish Kumar Sen is a reporter covering foreign policy and international developments for The Washington Times.
Prior to joining The Times, Mr. Sen worked for publications in Asia and the Middle East. His work has appeared in a number of publications and online news sites including the British Broadcasting Corp., Asia Times Online and Outlook magazine.
By Chuck Donovan
Ruling for homosexual 'marriage' would unleash endless national division
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
A collection of reader guest articles, thoughts and opinions by Communities writers and breaking news and information.
Politics and pop culture from the perspective of an independent hip-hop conservative
World's Ugliest Dog Contest
26 Photos
Spelling Bee finale
45 Photos
Marines train Afghan soldiers
4 Photos
Rolling Thunder 2013
24 Photos
Benghazi: The anatomy of a scandal
13 Photos
