US Wants Australia to Fill the Void in Afghanistan

Why isn't this an admission of failure in Afghanistan? Sounds like defeat to me:

A report in US Defence publication Stars and Stripes has detailed plans for the US military to focus on 121 key districts in Afghanistan, even though NATO has enough forces to operate in only 48 districts. The report says the US military will rely on "foreign partner troops" to cover those 121 districts.

The Kandahar offensive is set for June. The Dutch are pulling troops out by the end of 2011. The US, understandably, is searching for troop numbers, particularly as their casualties from this conflict have hit 1000 according to website icasualties. Where will these "foreign partner troops" come from?

The US seems intent — at least publicly — on gently coaxing us in.javascript:void(0) This month General David Petraeus said Australian troops have punched above their weight in Afghanistan and he would welcome a larger deployment. This week it was Marine Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Bellon: "I love working with them. I think that they are a tier one force in the world right now. Your military is capable. Your officers and your enlisted leadership are fantastic. We enjoy working with them and they get tremendous results."

Just recently our top commander in Afghanistan said the war is a "draw." That translates to mean we are losing:

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan says the war is a draw.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal says the momentum of the resurgent Taliban militants has been stopped. But for now, the general says, nobody is winning.

In an interview Thursday on PBS' "NewsHour," McChrystal says he sees significant progress for the allies fighting the Taliban this year.

McChrystal says the insurgency remains serious, with a reach that spans the country and a large number of fighters.