Thousands of American troops are being poured into southern Afghanistan to break the "stalemate" in the region, the senior British commander in the country said today. General Jim Dutton, deputy commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, denied that the British forces based in Helmand province in the south had been fighting a "losing campaign" against the Taliban. But he acknowledged that "neither side could progress much" with the present force levels. "In order to break that stalemate, to increase the capacity, the decision was made to bring many more forces into the south," he said in an interview with the BBC. His acknowledgement that US reinforcements were needed to defeat the Taliban is likely to lead to further criticism that the Government failed to commit sufficient forces to the campaign.
Thousands of American troops are being poured into southern Afghanistan to break the "stalemate" in the region, the senior British commander in the country said today.
General Jim Dutton, deputy commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, denied that the British forces based in Helmand province in the south had been fighting a "losing campaign" against the Taliban.
But he acknowledged that "neither side could progress much" with the present force levels.
"In order to break that stalemate, to increase the capacity, the decision was made to bring many more forces into the south," he said in an interview with the BBC.
His acknowledgement that US reinforcements were needed to defeat the Taliban is likely to lead to further criticism that the Government failed to commit sufficient forces to the campaign.
The new commander of US and Nato-led troops in Afghanistan has said troops must shift from conventional warfare to protecting Afghan civilians.Gen Stanley McChrystal is expected to release new combat rules aimed at reducing the number of civilian deaths. A US military report has found that US air strikes in May in which Afghan civilians died had breached guidelines. The Afghan government has repeatedly called for measures to cut the number of civilian casualties.
The new commander of US and Nato-led troops in Afghanistan has said troops must shift from conventional warfare to protecting Afghan civilians.
Gen Stanley McChrystal is expected to release new combat rules aimed at reducing the number of civilian deaths.
A US military report has found that US air strikes in May in which Afghan civilians died had breached guidelines.
The Afghan government has repeatedly called for measures to cut the number of civilian casualties.
A little more than two years ago, on July 28, 1965, President Johnson committed the United States more decisively than ever to the war in Vietnam by announcing the deployment of 50,000 more American troops to this stricken corner of Southeast Asia.
