U.S. general offers mixed review of Afghan war’s final year as mission ends
KABUL, Afghanistan – Shortly after the speeches concluded, the flags were folded and the band silenced, the last U.S. general to lead combat operations in Afghanistan offered his candid assessment of the war.
The record casualties of Afghan forces are not sustainable, and neither are the astounding desertion rates, he said. Political meddling, not intelligence, drives military missions. The police and army do not work together.
“I don’t know if I’m pessimistic or optimistic,” said Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, the departing commander who, for the last year, has run the day-to-day mission, considering the U.S. military’s reduced role next year. “The fact that we are in less places, the fact that there are less of us as a coalition, is obviously concerning.”
Seated in his office after the lowering of the flag that signaled the official end of the coalition’s war-fighting mission, Anderson offered a nuanced take on the final year of America’s longest war. It was a reflection on the mission that was in stark contrast to the unbridled renditions of success offered by commanders, including Anderson, that seemed to defy the reality on the ground.
“It’s been a hell of a year,” Anderson said. “Now everyone wants this to be in the rearview mirror and of course we still don’t have the right guys in the right places and that just causes people to not know what to do.”
While he outlined shortcomings, Anderson also sounded notes of hope in a 45-minute interview after the official ceremony. On the tactical level, Afghan forces could beat the Taliban, if properly motivated, he said. The new Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, was committed to merit-based appointments. Tolerance for corruption, at least publicly, seems to have dropped.
Besides, he noted, America’s war here could not go on forever.
“The time has to come at some point and they have always proven the more you push them and force them to be more responsible they end up coming through,” he said of the coalition’s Afghan partners. “I believe they will be fine.”
But even positive assessments seemed dampened by reality.
“The good news is that the Taliban is just as challenged with strategy, leadership and resources, which causes them to be less effective as well,” he said. “The challenge will be now who best prepares this winter season, who best sets themselves up for success.”