Afghan Agonistes

The New York Sun reports today that the British general who commands NATO's 32,000 troops in Afghanistan told AP that unless 2,500 more NATO troops are sent to buttress reconstruction efforts, within 6 months 70 percent of Afghans will return to the Taliban, accepting an austere order in place of unending war.  The Afghan operation, which includes 12,000 American troops under NATO command, is NATO's largest ever.  An additional 8,000 American troops operate inside the country, outside of NATO command, chasing al-Qa'ida targets and pursuing related tasks; the 12,000 Americans serving with NATO are the largest number of US forces under foreign command since World War II.