Eastern Afghanistan's Unforgiving Terrain
I applaud General Stanley McChrystal’s decision this week to withdraw US Forces from the Korengal Valley in the notorious Kunar-Nuristan corridor of Afghanistan. Even with roughly 150,000 troops soon at his disposal, it’s a brave call to abandon what was touted as an operationally important area—especially when the Taliban will undoubtedly claim the move as a victory. The pullback is being billed as part of a larger ‘repositioning’ of US and NATO forces to more populated areas of Afghanistan. Still, repositioning or not, some places cannot be dominated.
I speak from experience when I say that the Kunar-Nuristan corridor falls into that category. Continue reading ‘Running Away from Death Valley’
