Almost eight years after the United Nations first authorized an international military force for Afghanistan, the “overall situation is deteriorating,” reports the top commander of those forces, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal. Without momentum against the insurgency in the next year, there could be an outcome “where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible.” Still more troops, and a different political and military strategy, will be required to avert “failure.”
If so, it will be for the United States alone to increase troops and implement a new strategy. Canada will end its military effort in 2011. Italians are already clamouring for their mission to end, after losing six soldiers. Germany certainly isn't going to up its ante. The Dutch, Danes and British have been doing a lot of fighting, along with the Canadians and Americans. They certainly won't be doing more. Nor will the Australians, who valiantly agreed to come to Afghanistan despite not being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
