U.S.-Afghan Relations Continue to Fray

The Takeaway

The war in Afghanistan is now 11 years old, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier for America to achieve a graceful departure from the region.  Yesterday the LA Times posted 18 photos online of soldiers posing with the body parts of Afghan insurgents. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said of the photos, “Anyone found responsible for this inhuman conduct will be held accountable in accordance with our military justice system.” That may be so, but to Afghans this may appear as yet another insult in a long series of errors that may undermine American plans for full troop withdrawal by 2014.  Daoud Sultanzoy is an Afghan Parliament member, Sean Easter is an Afghan War Veteran.

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