Afghanistan Commander's Assessment

"The stakes in Afghanistan are high. NATO's Comprehensive Strategic Political Military Plan and President Obama's strategy to disrupt, dismantle, and eventually defeat al Qaeda and prevent their return to Afghanistan have laid out a clear path of what we must do. Stability in Afghanistan is an imperative; if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban -or has insufficient capability to counter transnational terrorists -Afghanistan could again become a base for terrorism, with obvious implications for regional stability." With that premise, newly appointed GEN Stanley McChrystal set out to develop a strategy for the way forward to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan.  This newly released document is a must read for anyone interested in national security policy making -- especially as it applies to the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and central Asia.