Rasmussen's excessive optimism annoys...
(BRUSSELS2) Week after week, with each incident - serious or less serious - which can arise at any time in Afghanistan, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Secretary General of NATO, comes before the journalists, in person or through his service "press", to reassure and explain that everything is fine. An attack thus becomes an "isolated" incident, almost a road accident; the Taliban attack, an opportunity to test the Afghan forces. And to listen to him, Afghanistan would almost be a pleasant country in which to do tourism... Well, in a few years!
The cheerleader and the cheerleaders
And this is starting to annoy apparently in the corridors of NATO. " Even a cheerleader checks that his girls behind have the pompoms in order “explains They are starting to be” many tell Rasmussen that he is doing a disservice with his (inflated) optimism, saying that there is no problem. We don't need to say that everything is perfect. (...) We must speak a language to our opinions. Opinions need to know exactly what we are doing after 2014, and what missions we can carry out. »
What will the Taliban do after 2014?
On the ministerial side, too, we do not hide the fact that the difficulties on the ground are not small. Gérard Longuet - whom I was able to meet with some journalists after the ministerial meeting did not hide this fact. When asked if there is a security improvement?, he began with a long sigh before detailing his position. That " depends on the goal you want to achieve. There is Afghan territory. And the territories subject to transition are managed by the Afghan state. We drive on the roads. " (...) " From there to say that there is no more armed opposition on the spot, I would not venture. » The Taliban's recent spring offensive might be on everyone's mind. For the Minister, this is not really a new fact and its importance must be put into perspective. "It was not the Tet offensive" (referring to the Vietcong offensive in January 1968 against a hundred cities in Vietnam). On the other hand “We don't know if the Taliban aren't waiting for the date of 2014 by taking positions. » Indeed, after 2014 seems an unknown.