Admiral Mullen has admitted defeat in Afghanistan. Like a defeated general, he has only two lines left to offer—”I need more troops’, and “I blame someone else for my incompetence”. Unfortunately both excuses don’t bode well for Pakistan. obviously when the US begins carpet bombing Afghanistan again–refugees will rush to open borders to seek shelter from the bombing, drones and from the murders. The victims of the war in Afghanistan have kith and kin in Pakistan. 40 million Pakhtuns live in Pakistan–three times the number that live in Afghanistan. As soon as they enter Pakistan–the US will begin blaming Islamabad for “harboring the insurgent”, and “providing safe havens” to them.

Admiral Mullen should look at this map of Afghanistan and explain to the American public why the insurgents need any safe havens. The “Taliban” control 80% of the territory–why would be need FATA for re-supplies. Most of the arms they use are American arms taken from NATO, ISAF and US forces. Why would the need 303s from Waziristan?

Kandahar, Zabul, Hilmand, Orazgan Nooristan & Kunar. According to an ISoC report the US faces total collapse in Afghanistan. This is a map of Talibanistan: 2009 Afghan map showing Taliban control

So when Mullen gets his troops, he will continue his mantra about “safe havens” Blaming Pakistan is natural for an Admiral who has lost 80% of the Afghan countryside to the insurgents.

WASHINGTON – The current year of fighting in Afghanistan is the third year in a row that insurgents have gained the upper hand, US Admiral Mike Mullen said Friday.

Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the level of violence in Afghanistan is 60 percent higher than 2008. “Certainly from that standpoint, we’re not winning,” he said. “And in an insurgency, you’re either winning or you’re losing.”

Military planners earlier this year described the US mission in Afghanistan as close to failure, prompting a top-level review of the war strategy. US President Barack Obama in December 1 address to the nation ordered 30,000 troops to report to duty in Afghanistan in a renewed push to prop up the Kabul government.

Mullen said his top officers began calling on foot soldiers and civil affairs experts to stand ready within 72 hours of the presidential speech.
The 30,000 troops fell short of what the top military brass had asked for, though NATO foreign ministers came forward recently with a pledge to commit 7,000 troops to the war.

Mullen said this global commitment gives the US President and his top commanders in Afghanistan “all the forces he needs in 2010 to reverse the momentum of a growing and increasingly lethal insurgency.”