Tuesday, May 21, 2019

The Story of the Afghanistan Graphs

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) continues to be one of my go-to spots for good data, specifically on Afghanistan.

A little over a decade ago when I was finishing up my last tour supporting operations in AFG, in our talks in HQ ISAF and around the country, we didn't expect this is where we would be half-way through 2019 - but we knew we could be here.

I have to give the Taliban credit where credit is due. As I have outlined here for the last ~9.5 years, since we sent a clear signal at Obama's West Point speech in DEC 2009 that we did not have the will for what needed to be done, the Taliban knew they could do this on AFG time with AFG methods; husband your forces to get ready for the post USA/ISAF presence civil war to come. Keep the attacks going, and just enough to make sure you can say you kicked them out the door. Time is on our side, Allah is on our side, the West is weak and corrupt. Like the infidel Soviets before them, they will leave frustrated and defeated. We will take back what was always ours.

Just look at the graph and the notes to the side. The story is all there for you to see.

It didn't have to be this way, but perhaps it was destined to be.

Read it all.

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