US commander in Afghanistan proposes revamped strategy

The revised strategy, in the face of the Taliban’s expanding influence and waning support for the Kabul government, switches the emphasis from engaging directly with militants to winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan population, officials in Washington and at Nato headquarters said.

McChrystal graphically portrays the recent strategy of western forces as the equivalent of a lumbering bull attacking a matador’s cape, gradually tiring and finally being killed off.

Separate from his assessment submitted today, McChrystal is to go to Washington later this month to advise President Barack Obama on whether he needs more troops on top of the 108,000 international troops already there.