Lara Logan: "Counterterrorism" Afghan Plan an "Absolute Disaster"
CBS News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lara Logan called the so-called "counterterrorism plan" for Afghanistan, reportedly supported by Vice President Joe Biden, which focuses on hunting down al Qaeda and the Taliban, an "absolute disaster" and "just ludicrous" on "Washington Unplugged" on Thursday.
"You can't do any of those things if you have no security in most of the country," Logan told moderator Bob Orr. "I don't understand why no one will listen to the man you put your faith in and said he is the guy who is going to do this for us," she said referring to Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request for more combat troops in order to conduct a policy of "counterinsurgency" against the Taliban in the country.
The administration, Logan said, "really can't afford to deliberate for very long" on whether to fill McChrystal's request, considering the short window for success.
Logan explained that McChrystal's new strategy focuses on securing the Afghan people from civilian casualties – which al Qaeda is using as a recruiting ploy.
"Al Qaeda and the Taliban are clearly at war with the U.S. They are not concerned with the counterinsurgency, counterrorism…They are at war and McChrystal has to fight that war," Logan said reiterating the need for the Obama administration to give more combat troops to the effort.
Logan said that the general must also secure difficult to reach Afghan terrain from becoming al Qaeda training grounds.
"So, let's let them come back in and plot more attacks and do whatever they want in those remote areas while we concentrate on building schools and roads that are just going to get blown up," Logan said sarcastically.
"It doesn't work," she concluded.
She refered to the meagar resources alloted to the war in Afghanistan over the past eight years as "the starvation diet." "The U.S. soldier in Afghanistan has fought this war with very little resources."
Watch the full interview, as well as hear Ralph Nader weigh in on his new book above.
More from Lara Logan on Afghanistan:
Cooperation Rises between Iran and Taliban
Afghan Chances Lost, U.S. Faces Long Odds
Marines in Afghanistan: A Day in the Life
Taliban Gaining Firepower and Confidence
CBS News Special Report: The Road Ahead
"Washington Unplugged" appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.
"You can't do any of those things if you have no security in most of the country," Logan told moderator Bob Orr. "I don't understand why no one will listen to the man you put your faith in and said he is the guy who is going to do this for us," she said referring to Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request for more combat troops in order to conduct a policy of "counterinsurgency" against the Taliban in the country.
The administration, Logan said, "really can't afford to deliberate for very long" on whether to fill McChrystal's request, considering the short window for success.
Logan explained that McChrystal's new strategy focuses on securing the Afghan people from civilian casualties – which al Qaeda is using as a recruiting ploy.
"Al Qaeda and the Taliban are clearly at war with the U.S. They are not concerned with the counterinsurgency, counterrorism…They are at war and McChrystal has to fight that war," Logan said reiterating the need for the Obama administration to give more combat troops to the effort.
Logan said that the general must also secure difficult to reach Afghan terrain from becoming al Qaeda training grounds.
"So, let's let them come back in and plot more attacks and do whatever they want in those remote areas while we concentrate on building schools and roads that are just going to get blown up," Logan said sarcastically.
"It doesn't work," she concluded.
She refered to the meagar resources alloted to the war in Afghanistan over the past eight years as "the starvation diet." "The U.S. soldier in Afghanistan has fought this war with very little resources."
Watch the full interview, as well as hear Ralph Nader weigh in on his new book above.
More from Lara Logan on Afghanistan:
Cooperation Rises between Iran and Taliban
Afghan Chances Lost, U.S. Faces Long Odds
Marines in Afghanistan: A Day in the Life
Taliban Gaining Firepower and Confidence
CBS News Special Report: The Road Ahead
"Washington Unplugged" appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.
