| Publication |
2011.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Ambigous, often contradictory, assessments of the achievements of NATO/ISAF operations in Afghanistan make it difficult to form a clear picture of the situation on the ground. However, there is a strong perception that the coalition troops are floundering in a quagmire. What began as a campaign with a fairly precise set of objectives soon escalatedinto a grandiose attempt to re-form an entire society. Today, despite the rhetoric of politicians and military leaders who speak of 'sticking it out' till the job is done, there are unmistakable signals that, as Lord Ashdown commented in November 2010, the endgame has started. Whether or not a workable strategy has finally been put in place is uncertain, what is clear is that electorates back home have lost patience with the mission. Thus the emphasis now is to fashion an exit strategy that will provide a facade of success, justifying, albeit weakly, the claim of 'mission accomplished'.
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