Word: afghanistan
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Little more than 60 miles (100 km) from Thailand's fabled beaches lies another land that has far more in common with the barbed-wire disquiet of Iraq or Afghanistan than the sunny image projected in tourist brochures. Nearly every day, violence - motorcycle bombs, shootings, arson attacks, beheadings - claims another life in Thailand's three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, which, unlike the rest of the Buddhist-majority country, are 80% Muslim. The region was a Malay sultanate until the early 20th century when Thailand annexed it. While members of both faiths have been killed by Muslim militants...
Specifically, a significant amount of troop reinforcements must be sent to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The Northern Pakistan region has become a safe haven for insurgents, allowing for a crisscrossing of men and supplies. The porous border exacerbates the problems caused by insurgents in Afghanistan and adds to the peacekeeping woes of nearby Pakistan...
...been almost three months since General McChrystal reported to Obama that U.S. efforts in Afghanistan would fail if 40,000 additional troops were not deployed there. McChrystal’s experience as the commander of the military’s clandestine service has given him expert insight into how insurgencies operate—this background adds additional legitimacy to his request, which the President must take very seriously...
President Obama is reported to be near a decision on troop reinforcements. Yet reports indicate that the plan could be considered “McChrystal light,” wordplay on the popular drink, because the amount of troops that may ultimately reach Afghanistan will most likely fall short of the general’s request. Troops will most likely begin arriving in Afghanistan in January, leaving the troops on the ground with several months of unassisted operations. Any operation will result in failure if not provided with adequate manpower, and nowhere is this more apparent than in military operations...
...need an increased U.S. troop strength to countervail the Taliban in the south and the east, so that you can bring them to the negotiating table," says retired general Talat Masood. "The Pakistani military also thinks that if they succeed in Afghanistan, the Taliban will be less powerful in Pakistan. The Americans should see Pakistan as an interlocutor for trying to handle these groups politically...