Posted by Bunny.
The minutes from a high level meeting between English and French diplomats in Afghanistan have been leaked to a French newspaper (Le Canard Enchainé). French government officials have admitted that the leaked information is authentic. According to the British Ambassador to Afghanistan:
• "The current situation is bad, the security situation is getting worse, so is corruption, and the government has lost all trust..."
• "The presence of the coalition, in particular its military presence, is part of the problem, not part of its solution... Foreign forces are the lifeline of a regime that would rapidly collapse without them. As such, they slow down and complicate a possible emergence from the crisis."
• The American strategy is "destined to fail."
• The only "realistic" way to unite Afghanistan would be for it to be "governed by an acceptable dictator" and the governments of the occupying forces (U.S., England, France, etc.) should begin preparing public opinion for this.
New York Times story here.
Obviously, no comment on the moral or legal implications of any of this.
~Bunny.
Added 10/04
This cartoon by Matt Bors from GI Special 6J3 [ download PDF ]. Pass it around - it's what (some) GIs are reading. Thanks to HI-REDVET folks for forwarding to us. ~B.