The good news is that the number of recruits joining the Afghan army is up sharply this month. This is also part of the goal of the ongoing troop buildup in that country. The strategy is that the Afghan army needs to be able to control all of the gains made by the US during the troop surge which is presently being conducted.
A major reason for the surge in recruits was a large pay raise by the Afghan government. Afghan fighters are still paid less than Taliban fighters which shows me that the Taliban is not loved that much by the locals. If they were they would have more recruits.
The targeted exit date for our troop surge is mid 2011 but if the Afghans can’t take over by then it will have to be delayed. I used to be against setting specific exit dates but the good thing about doing so is that it creates a sense of urgency among the Afghans and the US troops. Of course the date can be changed if necessary but no one wants that. An exit date also gives hope to Operation Enduring freedom military ring customers by giving them a time to look forward to for leaving the country.
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