The Other War

It looks as if we're failing in Afghanistan as well. Apparently, the terms of debate are essentially the same as those in Iraq. On the one hand, are people who say you only achieve "success" when you achieve your goals, whereas on the other hand are people who think something else:

This judgment reflects sharp differences between U.S. military and intelligence officials on where the Afghan war is headed. Intelligence analysts acknowledge the battlefield victories, but they highlight the Taliban's unchallenged expansion into new territory, an increase in opium poppy cultivation and the weakness of the government of President Hamid Karzai as signs that the war effort is deteriorating.

The contrasting views echo repeated internal disagreements over the Iraq war: While the military finds success in a virtually unbroken line of tactical achievements, intelligence officials worry about a looming strategic failure.

Not to belabor the point, but if the "tactical achievements" are leading to "strategic failure" then there's a need to rethink the tactics not just pound the table.