Afghan Taliban On U.S. Withdrawal: ”They want to flee from Afghanistan just as they turned tail and ran from Vietnam,”

It almost seems like the Taliban want the U.S. and NATO forces to stay in Afghanistan...unless they don't quite know the art of taunting.

From the article at DAWN:

A statement from the militant group said the ongoing transfer of security operations from US troops to Afghan forces was merely a retreat similar to the American withdrawal from South Vietnam prior to the communist victory there in 1975.

American-led Nato troops are scheduled to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, although the US will leave a residual force behind and other Nato countries have pledged continuing support of the Kabul government.

”They want to flee from Afghanistan just as they turned tail and ran from Vietnam,” the Taliban statement said.

”When America faced utter destruction in Vietnam, they came up with the formula ‘declare victory and run’ and want to utilise the formula of ‘transfer security and run’ here in Afghanistan.”

Now, perhaps that doesn't boil your blood like it does mine but to me, it begs for the fact that America just never let loose in Afghanistan - when the leadership of forces in the War in Afghanistan shifted to a community effort by NATO, the fate was sealed as there was never a desire or a plan to WIN, a plan to eliminate the Taliban.  I don't think anyone would quarrel with me when I state that if the U.S. had wanted complete and utter defeat of the Taliban, it could have been achieved.  Yes, it would have meant a civilian toll and it would have meant telling Afghan President Karzai to keep his mouth shut and yes, it would have meant going across the border into Pakistan.  But if we had wanted to win, that is what it would have taken.  But America seemingly doesn't wish to win wars anymore...we want to wage war like we debate the fiscal cliff.

Taliban liken US Afghan role to Vietnam War


KABUL: The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday likened the planned withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan to America’s pullout from Vietnam, calling it a ”declare victory and run” strategy.

A statement from the militant group said the ongoing transfer of security operations from US troops to Afghan forces was merely a retreat similar to the American withdrawal from South Vietnam prior to the communist victory there in 1975.

American-led Nato troops are scheduled to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, although the US will leave a residual force behind and other Nato countries have pledged continuing support of the Kabul government.

”They want to flee from Afghanistan just as they turned tail and ran from Vietnam,” the Taliban statement said.

”When America faced utter destruction in Vietnam, they came up with the formula ‘declare victory and run’ and want to utilise the formula of ‘transfer security and run’ here in Afghanistan.”

The United States withdrew is combat troops from South Vietnam in 1973, leaving South Vietnamese forces to face the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong who marched into the capital, Saigon, two years later.