Tweet
Despite a fierce U.S. military campaign aimed at paralyzing the Taliban in Afghanistan, insurgents have largely been able to absorb attacks and are playing a waiting game until July, when the U.S. troop drawdown is scheduled to begin, military and intelligence officials reportedly say.
While stepped-up airstrikes and special operations raids have damaged local Taliban cells, the attacks have not had a meaningful impact on the terror organization and have failed to put pressure on the group to seek peace, the officials reportedly said.
"The insurgency seems to be maintaining its resilience," a senior Defense official involved in assessments of the war told The Washington Post. The Taliban have consistently shown an ability to "reestablish and rejuvenate" within days of being hit by U.S. forces, the official continued.
Assessments made by the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency found that Taliban commanders killed or captured are often replaced within a matter of days, and in territories such as Kandahar where insurgents have been forced to flee temporarily, the groups are simply waiting for the opportunity to return, the Post reported.
U.S. officials said Taliban agents are intentionally holding back efforts until the start of President Obama's troop drawdown in July of next year. "The end is near," they tell one another, attributing the words to Taliban leader Mohammad Omar, the newspaper said.
While stepped-up airstrikes and special operations raids have damaged local Taliban cells, the attacks have not had a meaningful impact on the terror organization and have failed to put pressure on the group to seek peace, the officials reportedly said.
"The insurgency seems to be maintaining its resilience," a senior Defense official involved in assessments of the war told The Washington Post. The Taliban have consistently shown an ability to "reestablish and rejuvenate" within days of being hit by U.S. forces, the official continued.
Assessments made by the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency found that Taliban commanders killed or captured are often replaced within a matter of days, and in territories such as Kandahar where insurgents have been forced to flee temporarily, the groups are simply waiting for the opportunity to return, the Post reported.
U.S. officials said Taliban agents are intentionally holding back efforts until the start of President Obama's troop drawdown in July of next year. "The end is near," they tell one another, attributing the words to Taliban leader Mohammad Omar, the newspaper said.
Comment