As Trump administration negotiates peace with Taliban, some retired U.S. generals see defeat

[left-of-center2012]

Don Bolduc lost 69 men to the Taliban during the five-plus years he spent as a Special Forces officer in Afghanistan. Now a retired brigadier general, he keeps their dog tags in a memorial in his home office as a constant reminder, he says, of their sacrifice and “of the price for bad policy and strategy.”

Last week’s news from Qatar of progress toward a possible peace deal with the Taliban that would involve a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan served as another sort of reminder: of the likelihood, in Bolduc’s eyes, that his men’s sacrifices were in vain.

“Like it or not, we have lost,” he said. That realization will be hard to take for the soldiers he fought with, according to Bolduc. “It’s going to be a bitter pill,” he said. “They did what they were asked, they did the right thing, and they watched their teammates get maimed, get killed, and because of the failure of our policymakers and our senior military leaders they’re going to have to swallow this pill.”

But as Bolduc’s comments indicate, some retired generals who fought in Afghanistan view the sort of settlement being discussed as nothing short of a defeat.

“The Taliban are the victors,” said a retired general officer who commanded a brigade early in the war. “We just haven’t figured that out yet.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/a

[Hoyt]

1. We lost when we invaded their country, and especially Iraq. Few countries have ever been victorious

invading and occupying a foreign country. We need to quit that crap and tell the generals tough.

There is some justification for chasing Bin Laden through Afghanistan, but trying to occupy a country like Afghanistan or Iraq is pure folly.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. History is repeating itself

once again,no one can conquer Afghanistan. Bush and Cheney were warned,you break it,you own it. Well how true the Pottery Barn theory of General Powell.

[keithbvadu2]

3. All Trump has to say is: Taliban in Afghanistan is defeated... Problem solved.

All Trump has to say is: Taliban in Afghanistan is defeated... Problem solved.

[left-of-center2012]

5. Trump will tell us ...

He beat ISIS in Syria and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Oh, and got nukes out of North Korea.

[keithbvadu2]

6. He did say: Kim is "very honorable".

[left-of-center2012]

7. And they are 'in love'.

[ronatchig]

4. It depends on the definition of

Defeat.The democratization of Afghanistan or Iraq is absolutely a defeat. The improvement of the lives of the people's of these countries is also loss.
If you mean corporate profits of the military industrialists then it has been a gang busters success