Showing Better PR

Ever since General Stanley McChrystal became the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, there has been great expectation of a change in the tides of war in Afghanistan. There’s even a video on the internet showing U.S. Army soldiers getting a pep-talk before an attack on the Afghan town of Marjah. It seems that taking over the southern Afghan town of Marjah would change the war by seizing a major Taliban supply and drug-smuggling stronghold.

Frankly I don’t see how winning a battle like Marjah would change anything. With their superior weapons and firepower, the U.S. has won almost every major battle against the Taliban since the start of the Afghan war but the Taliban is still there and still fighting. If America wants to win the war, or at least get an honorable draw, they need to stop talking about battles and start to win over public support in Afghanistan. Take this latest battle for instance; Americans have been talking about the battle for weeks and how they will provide aid and services to the residents once the Taliban are gone. But isn’t that what the Americans has been trying to do from the very get-go? Since the start of the war, they had been (trying) bringing electricity, clean water, building schools etc to the people of Afghanistan. All after driving the Taliban from the area but the Taliban has always come back to the area.

So what has changed with this latest battle plan? Nothing expect better PR.