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“Graveyard Myths,” by Peter Bergen (Op-Ed, March 28), gets the picture half-right. Restoring law and order in Afghanistan is indeed critical to winning the war. Quashing the Taliban is fundamental. But the view that a United States troop surge can bring stability to the region is worrisome. This would lead to a tit-for-tat reaction by the Taliban.
The Taliban are not an ethnic group. They represent a religious movement thriving on the conviction, right or wrong, that they are waging jihad against a Western onslaught. The Taliban may not be popular, but the engagement of Western troops has led to the spread of the movement in Pakistan as well as the recruitment of thousands of Muslims from Central Asia, Arab states and Southeast Asia.
Training the Afghan National Army and police forces to overcome the movement is crucial. Who can do it? Not President Obama’s troops.
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