REMEMBER HOW THE WINGERS TOLD US WE "WON" IN AFGHANISTAN?

Not so much, really, and even the CJCS realizes it.

Mullen: 2 years to turn tide in Afghanistan
May 18 11:30 AM US/Eastern
By ANNE GEARAN
AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's top military officer said Monday he hopes additional forces and new tactics can help the United States turn a discouraging tide in Afghanistan where civilian deaths blamed on inaccurate or overzealous U.S. attacks have undermined the American effort.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned of more violence and more U.S. deaths. He said the repeated deaths of Afghan civilians linked to U.S. attacks will cripple President Barack Obama's revamped strategy for the seven-year-old war.

"I believe that each time we do that, we put our strategy in jeopardy," Mullen said. "We cannot succeed ... in Afghanistan by killing Afghan civilians."

The chairman said he was hopeful that "in the next 12- to 24 months, that we can stem the trends which have been going very badly in Afghanistan the last three years."

"I would look to 2009 and 2010 to be incredibly important years in Afghanistan," Mullen said. "The violence level is up, the Taliban is much better organized than they were before."