U.S. Credibility Around the World Damaged by Afghanistan War --- As the December 31st deadline for the U.S.-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement gets pushed back, given unresolved disagreements over the post-2014 U.S. presence, it is clear that American clout in Kabul is not what it once was. -- American credibility is not simply at risk but has already suffered damage – and remains in a deteriorating spiral. The gulf between the words and deeds of the United States regarding Afghanistan over the past decade has been so vast that trust in America has been severely degraded. There are real consequences to this loss of trust and if this trend is not reversed, vital American interests may one day be placed at risk. --- Following initial deployment of surge forces into Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, then the commander of U.S. troops in the country, told the New York Times, "I think we have made significant progress in setting the conditions in 2009 ... and that we'll make serious progress in 2010." Gen. David Petraeus followed McChrystal in command and in March 2011 testified before the House Armed Services Committee that "as a bottom line up front, it is [the International Security Assistance Force's] assessment that the momentum achieved by the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2005 has been arrested in much of the country and reversed in a number of important areas." Next in line came Gen. John Allen, who claimed at his change of command ceremony in February 2013 that in fact, "This is victory. This is what winning looks like". ---- After 12 full years of war, however, this is what "victory" actually looks like: -- •"Afghanistan's opium production surged this year to record levels, despite international efforts over the past decade to wean the country off the narcotics trade, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.N.'s drug control agency," Fox News reported. -- •Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index ranks Afghanistan as dead-last at 174th out of 174 nations evaluated. -- •The United Nations General Assembly Security Council reported that "from 16 May to 15 August [2013], 5,922 [security] incidents were recorded, an 11 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2012 (5,317 incidents)." -- •And the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documented "1,319 civilian deaths and 2,533 injuries (3,852 casualties) from January to June 2013, marking a 14 percent increase in deaths, 28 percent increase in injuries and 23 percent increase in total civilian casualties compared to the same period in 2012." --- Our actions of recent years have severely tarnished the traditional American values of honor, respect, integrity, trust and moral excellence. But this damage is reversible. --- Given the chaotic, always-changing nature of international affairs, no one expects American leaders to be right all the time. What we should expect, all the time, is for our leaders to be open and honest, both with our own citizens and in the conduct of foreign policy abroad in our name. - More, U.S. News & World Report, at: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2013/12/16/us-credibility-around-the-world-damaged-by-afghanistan-war