Reports paint a grim future for Afghanistan

(What your group is saying is that Afghanistan is under serious threat from resurgent violence, weakening international resolve, mounting regional challenge, and a lack of confidence from the Afghan people about the future of their country. is the US losing the war in Afghanistan?) The insurgents aren’t losing, they’re winning. (Could the US be doing more?) the whole purpose of our report is to give recommendations and how to improve the coordination and funding of the civilian element and to turn these tables around. (What has the reaction been?) We heard from the government witnesses that some of our conclusions they accepted, others they rejected. The senators on both sides of the aisle were accepting. (Why is the effort failing?) For multiple reasons. One is we haven’t been able to get a civilian coordinator to pull together international programs. We need a US coordinator. We need new strategy. (The President of Afghanistan has already turned down one coordinator. Is the President of Afghanistan helping or hurting?) He’s the centerpiece. For motivations that had to do with local politics, he turned down the coordinator and he probably would’ve turned down any strong international-oriented leader. We think that’s a tragedy. (The US is sending more than 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan. You say we need a NATO effort. How many more NATO troops and from where?) Generally, the US has made an effort and NATO has been asked to match it. (The bottom line of your report is that Afghanistan is being overshadowed by Iraq and the US should shift resources. Which does the US have more stake in?) There’s not an answer to that question. Iraq has been a much larger drain on resources and we need additional resources in Afghanistan. (In terms of the presidential race, Afghanistan is not much of an issue). This is a hidden conflict in a conflict state and we need to give attention to it.