Taliban Stronger Than at Any Time Since Afghanistan War Began in 2001
(ANTIWAR.COM) —With Afghan security forces suffering record casualties, and their already tenuous control slipping all the time, things are looking dire in Afghanistan. But from the Taliban perspective, all these same stats add up to things looking pretty good.
The Taliban is getting stronger all the time, and now controls more of Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US invasion. That control is extending in all regions of the country, with them contesting substantial portions of even vital provinces, or controlling them outright.
That’s true even in the capital city of Kabul. According to the most recent SIGAR estimate, 12% of Kabul is under direct Taliban control, with another 32% of the city considered at the very least “contested.”
All of this adds up to a Taliban able to contest virtually any part of Afghanistan they choose, able to make a serious run at seizing almost any city in the country, at least temporarily, and can carry out so many simultaneous offensives that the Afghan military can’t react to them all.
Afghan Forces Suffer Record Casualties, Lose Further Control to Taliban
(ANTIWAR.COM) — Afghan officials are determined to not publish death tolls for their forces as they face major pushes from the Taliban. They do, however, admit that the casualties are higher than in any previous comparable period.
The record casualties were a bit more closely defied by Defense Secretary James Mattis, who said over 1,000 Afghan security forces suffered casualties in August and September. This was done to praise them for continuing to fight.
But they’re fighting and losing. The record casualties are not coming as part of some costly offensive by the Afghan government, but rather amid mounting losses. Afghan government control in the country is shrinking apace, and shows now sign of slowing, despite the eternal optimism of the Pentagon.
One of the most immediate concerns with the casualties is that the Afghan government’s official troop figures have always been inflated. In reality, much of the army exists only on paper, and as very real troops suffer casualties, the remaining percentage of the military that is wholly imaginary only grows.
By Jason Ditz / Republished with permission / ANTIWAR.COM / Report a typo