Military: Kandahar ops to last through fall

[unhappycamper]

Military: Kandahar ops to last through fall
By Anne Gearan - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 11, 2010 20:03:34 EDT

WASHINGTON — The United States expects heavy fighting around the key Afghan city of Kandahar through the fall, one Pentagon official said Wednesday, dimming hopes for big gains in the war ahead of U.S. elections and a White House review of its war strategy.

Several NATO nations are also taking stock of their military commitments in Afghanistan, and the course of the war will be a major topic for leaders of the alliance at a summit in October.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said the U.S. and its partners must show gains by year’s end or risk losing public support at home.

Military leaders are increasingly suggesting that despite the imperative for progress, the American public should not expect fast results.

Army Gen. David Petraeus, on the job as war commander for only a few weeks, will begin arguing publicly this weekend for patience and flexibility. Petraeus will do a round of television interviews partly intended to reassure Americans that the war is worth fighting, and to argue that President Obama’s redrawn strategy is only beginning to take root.




unhappycamper comment: My patience at this nine year occupation is non-existent. I can hardly wait to hear why we are still there.