Taliban’s resistance getting stronger: Mullen

WASHINGTON: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that the U.S. needs to turn around the conflict in Afghanistan within the next year and a half.

Admiral Michael Mullen, speaking at an event at the National Press Club in Washington, said that while he can't yet be sure how much longer U.S. troops will be needed in the war torn country, the time frame to see success of President Barack Obama's new strategy is fairly short.

"I believe we have to start to turn the tide with respect to the Taliban in the next 12 to 18 months," he said.

And although U.S. enemies in Afghanistan, including al Qaeda, have grown increasingly sophisticated, Mullen said he was confident that U.S. forces would meet that goal.

"The forces that we have, the strategy that we have and the approach that we have will allow us to do that," he said.

One of the key differences, Mullen said, is that commanders on the ground now have the full support and resources they need to do the job. His remarks come almost a week after thousands of Marines launched a new offensive in Taliban-controlled southern Afghanistan.

"In Afghanistan, while we have been there since 2001, it's been an under-sourced effort for a significant period of time," he said. "Now with what we've learned, particularly with counterinsurgency and what it takes, what we've learned in Iraq, we apply those lessons in Afghanistan."

He added, "We are now resourcing it to the needs of the commander on the ground. We just hadn't done that. We're really just starting to do that this year."

Mullen said that U.S. troops were focused on providing security to the Afghan people, with an additional emphasis on development by the increased civilian presence in the country as well.

An added regional emphasis, recognizing that the situation in Afghanistan is tied closely with Pakistan is another encouraging change, Mullen said.

However the U.S. has to walk a fine line in terms of the number of troops it deploys to the country.

"All of us are concerned about having the right level footprint but not getting to the point where it looks like we're an occupying force," he said. "If we get to that point it isn't going to work."

The task of defeating the Taliban won't come easily or without cost though, Mullen warned, as the enemy is using increasingly sophisticated tactics for their attacks with improved improvised explosive devices.

"This is an enemy that's very adaptive and very capable," he said. "Particularly in Helmand Province where 4,000 [Marines] launched an operation just a few days ago, that's going to be a very tough fight."