Former CIA Official: U.S. Losing War in Afghanistan

April 14, 2008
J.J. Green, WTOP Radio

WASHINGTON - The U.S. is on the verge of losing the war in Afghanistan, says a former top CIA official who was involved in attempts to capture and kill Osama bin Laden.

"Afghanistan of course is a terrible disaster for the United States and NATO. NATO seems to be dying in Afghanistan," says Mike Scheuer, who headed the CIA's Osama Bin Laden unit when the war began.

Scheuer is no longer with the agency. His harsh assessment comes in his new book, "Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq."

"What we managed to do was what invaders of Afghanistan always do. We took the cities and declared victory, but we didn't kill the enemy," Scheuer tells WTOP.

"The enemy escaped, the Taliban and al Qaida, now we have a growing insurgency in Afghanistan. And, we certainly don't very many more troops to send there."

So, why is the war a disaster? Scheuer says the U.S. made some horrible miscalculations.

"We tried to do Afghanistan on the cheap," he says.

"We tried to win a war with several hundred intelligence officers and about a thousand special forces."

What does Scheuer think should happen now?

"Unfortunately, it would involve several major politicians saying we've lied to you for the last 15 years."

WTOP has contacted the Department of Defense but the department has yet to respond.

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