Afghan Outcome Uncertain a Year from Withdrawal

(CBS)  U.S. Marines raising the American flag in Kandahar, the spiritual heartland of the Taliban, was nine years ago, and everybody was feeling it.

Special Section: Afghanistan

"The tide has turned," a Marine commander said. "This fight is over for the al Qaeda. This fight is over for the Taliban."

The man who led those Marines was Gen. James Mattis, so there was bitter irony in the room Tuesday when Mattis, now wearing four stars, sat down for his confirmation hearing as commander of all U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The man who once stood on the verge of victory now says the outcome is uncertain, CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin reports.

"I believe it's going to be a difficult summer right into the fall," Mattis said.

What happened? In a word, Iraq. The invasion and occupation sucked up troops and technology. Afghanistan became what's called "an economy of force" operation, a euphemism meaning not enough troops, a topic that comes up in the six years' worth of classified documents WikiLeaks posted on the Web Sunday night

"The war in Afghanistan was deteriorating over the past several years and that we were not winning," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said.

The Taliban, taking advantage of sanctuaries in Pakistan and preying on the corruption of the Afghan government, made a comeback, forcing President Obama to order a troop surge.

By the end of this summer, the U.S. will have 100,000 troops on the ground, at least for a while. The president also set a July 2011 deadline for beginning a withdrawal, a deadline counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen says encouraged the Taliban to fight on.

"They immediately went out and spoke to the population and said the Americans are leaving in 18 months," Kilcullen said.

The goal is to create an Afghan government complete with army and police force that can fend for itself against the Taliban. Before that can happen, U.S. troops will have to drive the Taliban out of Kandahar for the second time.

The U.S. is not likely to get a third chance in Afghanistan. This time it's make or break.

More WikiLeaks Coverage

Rep. Marshall: "Nothing New" in WikiLeaks Docs
WikiLeaks Puts Afghan Agents at Risk, U.S. Says
WikiLeaks Unlikely to Change Afghan War's Course
Obama: Nothing New in WikiLeaks Documents
WikiLeaks Draws Focus to Military Hit Lists
Pentagon: "Very Robust" Probe of WikiLeak Source
Leaked Docs Expose Afghan Failings, Plague Military
WikiLeaks vs. the Pentagon Papers
WikiLeaks Changing Whistleblower Rules
Docs May Dent U.S.-Pakistani Relations
Washington Unplugged: WikiLeaks Paint Grim Afghan Picture
Did WikiLeaks Leaker Access Top Secret "Intelpedia?"
Hotsheet: White House Tries to Kill the Messenger
White House: "No Blank Check" for Pakistan
WikiLeaks Founder: Many More Documents to Come
WikiLeaks: Evidence of War Crimes in Afghan Docs
Afghan Gov't "Shocked" by Leak of War Documents
Pakistani Officials: WikiLeaks Claims "Outrageous"
WikiLeaks: Evidence of War Crimes in Afghan Docs
Afghan Gov't "Shocked" by Leak of War Documents
Pakistani Officials: WikiLeaks Claims "Outrageous"
Analyst: WikiLeaks Report Fuels War Debate
WikiLeaks Reveals Grim Afghan War Realities
Report: Pakistan Aiding Afghan Insurgency
Papers: Leaks Show Unreported Afghan Deaths

[typeA911]

U know whats going to happen dont U? look at history. When we finally pull out like we did in Nam, we are going tp bring about 10,000 of those Afgans.back with us. Doesnt that sound great? Dont U just love the diversity of it all? We have the Vietnamese,Laotians,Cambodians, Thialandeese,Pakinstanis,Iragis,etc, just one big mellting pot or shud I say "CESSPOOL" Thats what diversity has become in this country, a big cesspool.Just think of all the wonderful things the aforementioned peoples have brought with them to build up America. RIGHT

[jimbot1957]

Well then, time to initiate "Operation Chaosistan!"

[cattiej]

Haliburton and so many other companies both foreign and domestic are getting rich off this war that it will never be over until the draft is implemented. So let's get the draft going again and see how many parents want to send their sons out to get killed for nothing. Many of the people think and say that the soldiers are protecting us when they are out killing innocent people and not doing anything but getting their arms, legs and heads blown off. If they are lucky enough to get back to the states alive, they suffer with mental trama. They can't get a job because there are none. I guess we all must move to China to get a job...of course, illegal aliens are put in prison in China, Mexico,India etc etc..
Obama stated time and time again, that if he were elected he would bring our troops home right away...HE LIED...our elected officals are lie to us every day..I am sick of it and I want it to stop. I am too old to move to another country to get away from all the corruption and greed of our politicans..all they are about is their political party and vote accordingly...they don't vote to help OUR country, but to fatten their own bank accounts..If I sound angry and disgusted, I am...I am an American..Buy American, Buy American. Buy American.

[Overruled1]

Am I correct in assessing the inconvenient truth that every president since WW2 has lied to the public about secretive strategy to domination of the planet?
I read about Wikleaks...and the thousands of papers indicating we aren't even close to any victory there...
We are told that the events we are reading concern Bush's administration...
It seems I was right about Bush, but after reading about the Pentagon Papers, it seems to me that we have 2 governments...one for elections, the other for conquest.
I feel so insignificant in this all....After experiencing my life and now am close to retirement....I wonder how long it will be before the American public forces changes.

[jimmyc1955]

You have been reading too many conspriacy stories about world domination. Why in the name of God would anybody want to rule the world???? It is a mindlessly stupid thing to want.

[Overruled1]

by jimmyc1955 July 27, 2010 11:53 PM EDT
You have been reading too many conspriacy stories about world domination. Why in the name of God would anybody want to rule the world???? It is a mindlessly stupid thing to want.
-------------------------------------------------------
You really shouldn't accuse me of reading too many conspiracy stories, especially since the crime is in the conspiracy, not the discovery of such....

The Pentagon Papers, officially titled United States?Vietnam Relations, 1945?1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense, was a top-secret United States Department of Defense history of the United States' political-military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. Commissioned by United States Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara in 1967, the study was completed in 1968. The papers were first brought to the attention of the public on the front page of the New York Times in 1971. A 1996 article in the New York Times said that the Pentagon Papers "demonstrated, among other things, that the Johnson Administration had systematically lied, not only to the public but also to Congress, about a subject of transcendent national interest and significance".

The study was classified as top secret and was not intended for publication. Contributor Daniel Ellsberg, however, turned over most of the Pentagon Papers to New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan, with Ellsberg's friend Anthony Russo assisting in their copying. The Times began publishing excerpts in a series of articles on June 13, 1971. Street protests, political controversy and lawsuits followed.

The papers revealed that the U.S. had deliberately expanded its war with bombing of Cambodia and Laos, coastal raids on North Vietnam, and Marine Corps attacks, none of which had been reported by media in the US. The revelations widened the credibility gap between the US government and the people, allegedly hurting President Richard Nixon's war effort.

But the most damaging revelations in the papers revealed that four administrations, from Truman to Johnson, had misled the public regarding their intentions. For example, Johnson had decided to expand the war while promising "we seek no wider war" during his 1964 presidential campaign.

Conspiracy story? NO....Absolutely not....CONSPIRACY FACT.

And yes it is mindlessly stupid to want that...Hitler, Stalin and Churchill all were bent for world domination...FDR died in office a true hero during WW2, then Truman dropped the bomb and the world hasn't been the same since.
Now with Wikileaks, the book doesn't need writing, its all over the net.

[dronemonk]

saying we're a year from withdrawing is such propaganda! Obama's already gone back on his campaign promises so thoroughly I can't believe news outfits are still willing to take his withdrawal at face value. Everyone be sure to act surprised the troops are left in play there for years to come.

[jimmyc1955]

The outcome is very clear - wait out a year - America pulls out in humliation - taliban takes back Afghanistan and al Quieda is back in business.

So in another 2 or 3 years another masssive terror attack on US killing God knows how many - yea - we need out now.