Nato needs the support of the Afghanis

The daily Die Presse agrees with General Stanley McChrystal's negative assessment of the situation in Afghanistan: "One thing is certain: 'muddling along' will also lead to disaster, even if it can be delayed for some time. The new US commander Stanley McChrystal is 100 percent right in saying that what is needed now is nothing less than a 'revolutionary change' of the West's entire strategy in Afghanistan: away from conventional warfare and the goal of disabling as many Taliban forces as possible, and towards helping the Afghani population win the struggle themselves. Only they can defeat the Taliban. But Nato will only win the support of the population when people feel more secure, when Nato bombs have stopped falling on their heads, and when they no longer have the feeling that the foreign soldiers are only there to support the corrupt clique in Kabul"

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