Afghan Violence hits Highest Level since 2001

There will be no military victory in Afghanistan. And it is likely that the Taliban will prevail. The unstable situation in Pakistan guarantees defeat for us there. Unfortunately, the President will continue to pursue a military solution with the loss of more American lives. The solution is what was done in Serbia and in our own country. Vice President Biden offered it for Iraq. But it won't happen. We do not have the necessary leadership or vision to solve the problem:

The violence that has surged for two years in Afghanistan reached a new high last week, and more difficulty lies ahead, the United States' top war zone commander said Thursday.

Gen. David Petraeus said the number of attacks in Afghanistan over the last week hit the highest level since the December 2001 fall of the Taliban.

"Some of this will go up because we are going to go after their sanctuaries and safe havens as we must," Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, said during a speech at the Washington think-tank Center for a New American Security.

"But there is no question the situation has deteriorated over the course of the past two years in particular and there are difficult times ahead," he said.