National Intelligence Estimate Critical of Pakistan Role in Afghan War
Edward Kenney
Afghanistan Study Group Blogger
For weeks there have been hints that the intelligence community (IC) and the Department of Defense (DoD) are at odds over the state of the war in Afghanistan, with DoD painting more optimistic picture[1] of the war in Afghanistan.
Two new National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs) on Afghanistan and Pakistan provide further evidence of this division. According to the Associated Press, these estimates paint a bleak picture on American prospects in Afghanistan and “could complicate the Obama administration’s plan to claim next week that the war is turning a corner.”
The strongest language in both reports relates to Pakistan and the issues surrounding sanctuaries. The report says,
“the war cannot be won unless Pakistan is willing to obliterate terrorist safe havens in its lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. The new report on Pakistan concludes that the Pakistani government and military ‘are not willing to do that,’ says one U.S. official briefed on the analysis.”
If this article is to be believed, the intelligence community has basically said that the war cannot be won unless Pakistan stops supporting the Taliban. But we already know this.
[1] To be fair, the DoD status review did not shy away from the many challenges facing coalition forces.
