Russia's ambassador in Kabul on fighting the Taliban: Don't bother with more troops
Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan has some advice for top NATO commanders fighting the Taliban based on the Soviet Union's bitter experience battling Islamist insurgents here in the 1980s: Don't bring more troops.
'The more troops you bring the more troubles you will have here,' said Zamir Kabulov, a blunt-spoken veteran diplomat.
In 2002, he noted, there were roughly 5,000 U.S. soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and the Taliban controlled just a small corner of the country's southeast.
'Now we have Taliban fighting in the peaceful Kunduz and Baghlan (provinces) with your (NATO's) 100,000 troops,' he said this week, sitting on a couch in the Russian Embassy in Kabul.
Read entire article at Mail on Sunday (UK)
'The more troops you bring the more troubles you will have here,' said Zamir Kabulov, a blunt-spoken veteran diplomat.
In 2002, he noted, there were roughly 5,000 U.S. soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and the Taliban controlled just a small corner of the country's southeast.
'Now we have Taliban fighting in the peaceful Kunduz and Baghlan (provinces) with your (NATO's) 100,000 troops,' he said this week, sitting on a couch in the Russian Embassy in Kabul.