Findings of Pentagon study not promising for US occupation in Afghanistan

Juan Cole summarizes the highlight of a new Pentagon study of Afghanistan districts, which was first reported by The New York Times. The study covers the last six months. Cole refers to five of the study's findings. His assessment is that the findings do not augur well for the US-led occupation of Afghanistan. There is little support for President Karzai's government. And there is an increase in the number of districts where there is sympathy toward the insurgencies and an increase in the number of districts where violence has increased.

I expect that the Pentagon will be asking for another increase in US troops to Afghanistan. Instead, they should be contemplating a change in their course, including an increase in support for reconstruction and humanitarian aid.

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Juan Cole, Informed Comment, April 30, 2010
http://www.juancole.com

Meanwhile, some statistics on Afghanistan from a new Pentagon study of the past 6 months, as reported by the NYT:

NATO is operating in about 100 districts of the country (the vague equivalent of counties).

Number of Afghans in 92 districts (assessed for their relationship to the Federal government) that actively support the government of Hamid Karzai: 0

Number of districts out of 92 that are neutral toward the government: 44

Number of districts sympathetic to the insurgency in March 2010: 48

Number of districts that had been sympathetic to the insurgency in June, 2009: 33

Increase in violent incidents from Feb. 2009 to March 2010: 87 percent.

None of these statistics look particularly good to me.