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Fox News Military Analyst Lt. Col. Bill Cowan and Fox News Terrorism Expert Dr. Walid Phares discuss the anti-American sentiment brewing in Afghanista...
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Is Fox News military analyst -- Bill -- and Fox News Middle East expert doctor Wally fares and gentlemen let's start with you were internal look -- I -- you know you're mr.
military retired marine officer intelligence guy.
Pro military and I heard you the other day talking about the fact it may -- it is time to get -- Tom -- I look carefully at what's happening in Afghanistan and I have a hard time finding any good news now granted.
Military people are gonna come up and say we had an effective operation over there is successful operation here.
Without more support among this Billy -- less support maybe among that village but in the in the in the aggregate.
The big picture.
There's no really good news coming out of that big picture -- and you know I grieve already.
Further for the upcoming guests that we Americans will certainly suffer over -- -- young men and women who'll die in a war that I think by any account.
Is not going to be one no matter how much money time or effort we put into it.
Doctor Wally Ferris I'm one of the things is about the hearts and minds as -- we were.
That's -- the new military Mon trial about winning the hearts and minds looks like at eight.
Well let me rephrase that.
Are we winning the hearts and minds horribly lost it because sometimes a camera will focus on just a Taliban that are that are protesting so what is it broad based towards -- just a -- group.
Very well said actually we have not even engaged in the war for the minds and the hearts of the -- -- people we have completely failed.
Specifically in the last four years but also in the last six years and in total.
I mean that goal of withdrawing from Afghanistan regardless if it's now and fourteen or an eighteen.
Is to leave behind not just a government that can control armed forces to confront the -- -- But a population that wants to consider that -- event as the enemy and we the allies that the measurement.
What we saw over the past few weeks.
This -- -- -- of civilians and then the burning of the Koran the reaction to that and before that.
Are exceptions if that happened in Japan or in Germany you know ten years after occupation there would have been incident that would have been.
What happened in Afghanistan so this is telling.
That we have not been able to basically partner -- Afghan civil society and that's why leaving out or in fort the only sixteenth is the same thing to me.
Our electoral -- and let's talk military strategy.
We are but we've -- reduced the number of forces there we're going to make another big reduction this coming summer and then continue right down to zero.
By the end of 2014.
What do you do it's a military commander when you start seeing fewer and -- -- of your -- is it do you.
You just all go into one spot and protect each other how does that work as far as protecting the soldiers that are gonna -- that.
We don't comment in Iraq one of the things we did was we really force the Iraqi Army to get out there and start carrying the fight to the bad guys.
And -- that's probably the optimum solution in Afghanistan even as we draw down forces we should've had more guys out there training.
Working alongside Afghan Afghan army -- And and pushing those guys to get out -- carry that fight but you know trading up and Iraq an Afghan army that's capable and effective.
Has not been an easy job the -- for your rate over there much lower than it was in Iraq.
And that we would not getting where we -- based alive if -- on the military commander I'm sending my guys that was Afghans.
I do worry -- any military commander -- about Afghans turning on my people as we have seen.
Not only after the burning of the Koran but consistently.
At various locations throughout the -- time over there.
Afghans have turned on the American so you start -- a lot -- you pull back the smaller compounds you know we're also talking about extending.
Some fortunes there -- flight 140.
And -- those reports -- that would be used for primarily special operation to direct action missions.
And you can't expect those guys to be out and among the villagers move it around Tom it's going to be a very dangerous.
Situation for anybody that's left over there as we draw down.
One of the arguments about -- is the fact that this is where.
The al-Qaeda is set up camp under the umbrella of the Taliban.
Plotted 9/11 if we let the Taliban take back the country.
That al-Qaeda will -- -- -- will have a 9/11.
Sequel.
Wally.
Absolutely that's a no brainer I mean if we leave -- -- stock.
Without making sure that there's a force and there's society -- gonna deny the target -- the fully controlled.
There is no question about it but thought about -- gonna be seizing most of Afghanistan.
As so -- -- would be rebuilt and it would connect with those -- in Pakistan -- Somalia and Yemen.
There's no -- of that.
The problem is we are all the relying on the armed forces the United States armed forces have been two and a great job in fighting the -- -- in fighting al-Qaeda.
What we have not done is that -- bureaucracy has failed basically in reaching out to women.
Two teachers to NGOs this is completely non existent -- should be working on because when the party event comes to advantage they recruit from the village.
We need to have allies in the civil society we haven't done that.
Well the of this administration.
Made a very clear that even though.
And things seem to have slipped where Republicans are now starting to be the anti war crowd and the Obama administration says no worse state right with the here's what Jay Carney had to say.
I'm sure there will be discussions ongoing between.
US military leaders as well as civilian leaders in Afghanistan and the Afghan government in the wake of this incident.
But our strategic objectives have not changed and they will not change.
-- Colin you referred to in that in the -- us our earlier this week.
About the fact that this is there's are some similarities between this and Vietnam.
This is different this administration saying no -- staying with -- your take.
Well you know Tom in Vietnam we virtually won every battle major battle that US forces were involved in.
But we did lose that war and indeed we lost the war because the American public.
And then the congress got tired of it didn't wanna find that they didn't want to participate.
And of course unfortunately.
All they anger and hatred was -- out on the servicemen and women coming back.
So in this particular war the American public is tired also.
I'm tired Tommy you know my son -- served two -- and Afghanistan I don't want to go back he's still an active duty in the army.
They American public is tired of awards -- very sort of that's lost a lot of our people and we don't see that clear path to victory so the similarity maybe.
Indeed that congress and the American public.
We'll make us leave Afghanistan even though our men and women who sacrificed and done a wonderful job.
Well gentlemen.
This story's not -- away so I'm sure will be talking again in the future but I thank you so much for your right.
Observe your your reaction to what's the latest news coming out of their colonel bill -- doctor Wally -- think you guys.
