Can NATO forces and the Afghan army defeat the Taliban?

The defeat of the Taliban in Afghanistan cannot be established without the full cooperation of Pakistan. On two multiple (during the heights of US involvement in 2002 and 2012) occasions, the Afghan Taliban have fled over the border to Pakistan to regroup and reassess, only to suddenly rejoin the fight when things have died down. read more

Nato "cannot win" the fight against the Taliban alone and will have to train Afghan forces to do the job, the UN's top official in the country warned yesterday. "At the moment Nato has a very optimistic assessment. read more

The Afghan forces would have to become “so capable and lethal” they could defeat the Taliban in battles with little help, said retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. read more