In the latest example of how bad the war in Afghanistan is going, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates sacked General David McKiernan, the top commander in Afghanistan.
Despite Mr. Gates explaining his decision as a way bring in "new leadership" and "fresh thinking" in the war against the Taliban, anyone who has half a brain can tell that the the seven-year-old war in Afghanistan is not going the way the US wanted it to go.
The timing is a little strange as General McKiernan has only being in the job for less than a year but with US President Barack Obama escalating the war by doubling the size of the US force in Afghanistan to 68,000, the White House may believe that a new commander is needed for their new strategy.
No matter what the thinking was, one thing no one question is that the war in Afghanistan is worsening for the US. Despite all the pressure (and money/bribes) they put on Pakistan, perhaps the US should worry more about what is happening in Afghanistan itself as the spreading Taliban insurgency may prove more problematic than they expected.
Here’s hoping the new US and NATO commander, Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal, has more luck than the last one.
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