Afghanistan: Petraeus "Success" Undone by Rising Casualties? (Porter)

Gareth Porter writes for Inter Press Service:

General David Petraeus claimed limited success this week in the war within a war over the Taliban's planting of roadside bombs, but official Pentagon data shows the Taliban clearly winning that war by planting more bombs and killing many more U.S. and NATO troops since the troop surge began in early 2010.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Tuesday, Petraeus asserted that the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by the Taliban had "flattened" over the past year and attributed that alleged success to pressures by the U.S. military, and especially the increased tempo of Special Operations Forces raids against Taliban units.

Afghanistan: The Politics of the Kabul Bank Crisis (Ellick/Filkins)

Data provided by the Pentagon's Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), however, shows that IEDs planted by Afghan insurgents killed nearly 40 percent more U.S. and NATO troops in the first eight months of 2010 than in the comparable period of 2009.

The data also show that Taliban IEDs wounded 2,025 U.S. and NATO troops in the first eight months of this year –-- almost twice the 1,035 wounded in the same months last year.

In the Journal interview, Petraeus said that the data on violent incidents in Afghanistan indicate a slowly improving security situation.

Without putting his statement in quotation marks, Journal reporters Julian E. Barnes and Matthew Rosenberg reported Petraeus as claiming that the use of IEDs "has generally flattened in the past year". While crediting U.S. military operations with this alleged improvement, Petraeus said it is too soon to say that they are the sole reason for this alleged flattening of IED incidents.

But the data for 2009 and 2010 provide no support for Petraeus's "flattened" description.

The 12-month moving average of IED incidents, provided in a report in July by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the basis of JIEDDO data, shows a continuing and sharp increase from 250 in June 2009 to more than 900 in May 2010, for an average increase per month of 54 incidents.

The total number of IED incidents in Afghanistan began to rise steeply in March 2010 to a new high of 1,087 and then continued to climb to 1,128 in May and again to 1,258 in August.

In a related effort to spin the IED issue more favourably to the war effort, Maj. Michael G. Johnson, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commanded by Petraeus, was quoted in a USA Today story published Tuesday as saying that there had been a "dip" in deaths and injuries from IEDs over the previous 12 weeks compared to the same period in 2009.

But the JIEDDO figures on deaths and injuries to U.S. and NATO forces from IEDs from June through August 2010 total 271 casualties --- a 30 percent increase over the total for those months a year ago....

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US Politics: Florida Pastor Misunderstands "Sign from God", Postpones Burn-a-Koran Day

Headline developments in the US yesterday, as Terry Jones, the pastor of a small Florida church, said he was cancelling tomorrow's Burn-a-Koran Day because he had a "sign from God" that the Park 51 Islamic Community Center, proposed on a site 2 1/2 blocks from the World Trade Center in New York City, would be moved.

Unfortunately, the line between God and Jones was a bit erratic, as the Islamic Center's organisers quickly said that they had made no such promise.

US Politics Video: Clinton Denounces “Disrespectful, Disgraceful” Burn-a-Koran Day
US and Afghanistan: Petraeus Warning over “Burn a Koran Day” (Barnes/Rosenberg)

Jones then said that he was only postponing his Koran burning.

Jones had made his cancellation announcement after a meeting with Imam Muhammad Musri, an Islamic leader in Florida. Although Musri was alongside Jones at the press conference, he soon said that Park 51's leaders had not agreed to find a new location: “The imam committed to meet with us but did not commit to moving the mosque yet.”

Jones also received a phone call from Defense Secretary Robert Gates during his meeting with Musri. Earlier in the day, President Obama had said the Koran burning would be "a recruitment bonanza from Al Qa'eda".

Throughout the week, Jones' plan had been denounced by US officials, including Hillary Clinton and General David Petraeus, the commander of American forces in Afghanistan, who said it would endanger his troops.

US Politics Video: Clinton Denounces "Disrespectful, Disgraceful" Burn-a-Koran Day

Speaking at an Iftar, the nightly meal breaking the Ramadan fast, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denounced the plans of a small Florida church to hold "Burn a Koran Day": "I am heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come from American religious leaders of all faiths, from evangelical Christians to Jewish rabbis, as well as secular US leaders and opinion-makers."

Clinton's intervention follows statements by General David Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, and the US Embassy in Kabul.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gsLsdBR2N4[/youtube]

Afghanistan: The US Embassy Statement about “Burn a Koran Day”
US and Afghanistan: Petraeus Warning over “Burn a Koran Day” (Barnes/Rosenberg)

Afghanistan: The US Embassy Statement about "Burn a Koran Day"

Earlier today we noted that General David Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, had warned of the repercussions that "Burn a Koran Day" --- promoted by a small Florida church for 11 September and now receiving international attention --- could have for American troops.

Another marker of how seriously US officials are treating the matter comes in this statement from the American Embassy in Kabul, posted on the Facebook page of the International Security Assistance Force:

US and Afghanistan: Petraeus Warning over “Burn a Koran Day” (Barnes/Rosenberg)

The United States government in no way condones such acts of disrespect against the religion of Islam, and is deeply concerned about deliberate attempts to offend members of religious or ethnic groups.

The embassy wants to emphasize that we strongly condemn the offensive messages, which are contrary to U.S. government policy and deeply offensive to Muslims especially during the month of Ramadan.

President Obama made clear in Cairo in his speech on June 4, 2009 that he considers it part of his responsibility as President to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they occur. And during his recent Iftar speech at the White House he said: “Let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country.”

Americans from all religious and ethnic backgrounds reject the offensive initiative by this small group in Florida. A great number of American voices are protesting the hurtful statements made by this organization. Numerous interfaith and religious groups in America are actively working to counter this kind of ignorance and misinformation that is offensive to so many people in the U.S. and around the world.

Just a few days ago, President Obama’s Special Envoy to the OIC [Organization of the Islamic Conference], Rashad Hussain visited Afghanistan, reaching out to political leaders, religious leaders, students and all citizens of Afghanistan, communicating the important message of friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between the U.S. and Muslim communities all around the world.

US and Afghanistan: Petraeus Warning over "Burn a Koran Day" (Barnes/Rosenberg)

In a telling example that the effects of whipped-up cultural conflict within the US may not remain at home, General David Petraeus offered a comment on this week's proposed "Burn a Koran Day". It is part of a concerted public-relations operation: the International Security Assistance Force is pushing Petraeus' remarks on its Facebook page.

Julian Barnes and Matthew Rosenberg report for The Wall Street Journal:

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said the planned burning of Qurans on Sept. 11 by a small Florida church could put the lives of American troops in danger and damage the war effort.

Gen. David Petraeus said the Taliban would exploit the demonstration for propaganda purposes, drumming up anger toward the U.S. and making it harder for allied troops to carry out their mission of protecting Afghan civilians.

"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort," Gen. Petraeus said in an interview. "It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."

Hundreds of Afghans attended a demonstration in Kabul on Monday to protest the plans of Florida pastor Terry Jones, who has said he will burn copies of Islam's holy book to mark the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Afghan protesters chanted "death to America," and speakers called on the U.S. to withdraw its troops. Some protesters threw rocks at a passing military convoy.

Military officials fear the protests will likely spread to other Afghan cities, especially if the event is broadcast or ends up on Internet video.

Mr. Jones, head of the 50-member Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., said in a statement that "We understand the General's concerns. We are sure that his concerns are legitimate." Nonetheless, he added, "We must send a clear message to the radical element of Islam. We will no longer be controlled and dominated by their fears and threats."

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