First Victory in Waris Deceptive

Published in Die Welt
(Germany) on 23 June 2011
by Michael Stürmer (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Jessica DeVaul. Edited by Gillian Palmer.
The United States wants one thing specifically in Afghanistan — a retreat. The announcement of the withdrawal alone, however, gives the war another psychology.

Nothing is more deceptive than the first victory in a long war. After the al-Qaida attack on the U.S., this was the case with the West in Afghanistan during the autumn of 2001. Since that time, the American and ISAF allies have won all of the encounters.

The speech, however, is not about triumph. With the requested retreat date set for 2014, an endgame is still not in sight after 10 years. The situation in the war-torn country is beyond an authentic assessment. It is obvious that the Americans prefer to come home sooner rather than later.

Yet the announcement of the withdrawal gives the war an alternate psychology and different dynamics. Who can say if the Taliban have actually been defeated, and are not just melting into the countryside and biding their time until the Stars and Stripes are folded up?

Now that it is the most dangerous country in the world, the relationship to Pakistan is unclear. It seems that Afghanistan has not won in Pakistan, but has perhaps lost.


Die USA will in Afghanistan vor allem eins – den Rückzug. Doch allein die Ankündigung des Abzugs gibt dem Krieg eine andere Psychologie.

Nichts ist trügerischer als der erste Sieg in einem langen Krieg. So ging es dem Westen in Afghanistan im Herbst des Jahres 2001, nach dem al-Qaida-Angriff auf die USA. Seitdem haben Amerikaner und Isaf-Verbündete alle Gefechte gewonnen.

Aber von Sieg ist nicht die Rede. Nach zehn Jahren ist noch immer, bis auf das Abzugs-Wunschdatum 2014, ein Endspiel nicht in Sicht. Die Lage in dem zerrissenen Land entzieht sich verlässlicher Beurteilung. Deutlich ist, dass die Amerikaner lieber früher als später nach Hause wollen.

Krieg am Hindukusch Schon die Ankündigung des Abzugs aber gibt dem Krieg eine andere Psychologie und Dynamik. Wer sagt denn, ob die Taliban wirklich besiegt sind und nicht nur mit dem Land verschmelzen und ihre Uhren auf den Zeitpunkt stellen, da die Stars und Stripes zusammengefaltet werden?

Unüberschaubar ist auch die Querverbindung zu Pakistan, dem mittlerweile gefährlichsten Land der Welt. Afghanistan wird in Pakistan nicht gewonnen, vielleicht aber verloren.
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