Five Myths on Afghanistan

By: Melvin A. Goodman, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed
Truthout.org
Thursday 08 October 2009

President Barack Obama is entering a crucial decision-making phase on Afghanistan at a time when geopolitical mythology is dominating the debate, the Pentagon is requesting additional forces in Afghanistan.

The military bureaucracy is particularly vulnerable to such mythology. It is unfortunate that the intelligence community has not prepared a National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan, which would better inform the White House debate. The military has accepted five major myths with respect to Afghanistan.

Myth #1: Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who commands more than 100,000 US and international forces, has endorsed a counterinsurgency strategy that views the Taliban as a collection of armed groups with different political and economic objectives.

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