John A. Nagl, who retired from the Army last year to become president of the Center for a New American Security, appeared on the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC last Monday to discuss the future of U.S. engagement in Afghanistan and the need for more troops—U.S. and Afghan—to contain the Taliban.
The strategy outlined in the The Counterinsurgency Field Manual, which Nagl co-authored, indicates the need for the long-term presence of a greater number of troops in Afghanistan, perhaps even by a factor of ten. To find out more about Nagl’s startling projections of the cost of the conflict and the future of the Middle East, watch the online video of the show.
Also read Nagl’s foreword to The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual.