So many stupid comments.You can't win with military power, you need a political solution. With that being said, military power and the will to use it are necessary for diplomacy to work. In turn, sincere diplomacy legitimizes the use of military force. They support each other.GEN Petraeus knows this

CPT Brad, Ft Campbell, USA

This is rather silly. There is more on-going violence, including murder, in Los Angeles or New York City than in any Afghan city. Has the war on crime inside the USA been "won"? This is based on a silly way of looking at the world. The goal is to rebuild the Afghan govt to police its country

Jonathon Moseley, Richmond, Virginia, USA

Well i guess democracy isn´t worth fighting for, is the lesson to be learned here.

Albert, vaxjo, Sweden

simple solution to this.

the 'Allied Forces' should leave. they shouldn't be there in the first place. it is all about $$$$$. you all know this but refuse to believe it.

same as in vietnam, falkland islands, and so on

Campbell Law, Nicosia, Cyprus

This is a political problem, and must have a political solution, The best the military can do is to win time for a political resolution. The worst they can do is aggravete the situation.

Coen van Wyk, Pretoria, South Africa

Come on, some of you must know about how corrupt the US and therefore the UK are. This is not about winning a war, its about controlling oil and protecting the petro dollar in europe. You really think Bin Laden cannot be found? Wake up people, its all about money

Phi, London,

Who has won war from Afghans? Afghanistan is not Iraq or any other country, this war can only be won by negotiations not by guns or killing innocent Afghans.

Adam, London, UK

History tells us Afghanistan is impossible to conquer. People (Americans) calling for the Churchillian spirit should note that Britain knows what it's doing in conflicts like this, we did after all have the largest empire the world has ever seen.

Matt, London, UK

Battles maybe won by the military alone. But wars are won by winning the hearts of people. Invading countries under a fraudulent disguise, leaves only one response: never allow the invaders to win. A slow death will eventually tire the invaders and leave them disheartened and broken.

Dennis, SAn Francisco, USA

History has several lessons of outcome of military campaigns in this area. All lessons are similar. You cannot win a war here merely relying on military might. UK know about it better then US that is why the officer spoke first. Britishers have been in this area for a long time and aware of history.

Shiraz Mehmud, Karlskrona,

But they keep saying that they are fighting for our freedom. The Taliban were no threat to their immediate neighbours let alone the west before the war began. What really astonishes me is that Nato with all its hardware and moden technology cannot beat a few thousand men just carrying basic weapons.

Jamil Rehman, Bradford, Uk

Contrast this to Lord Nelson's "Thank God I have done my duty" as he lay dying at the battle of Trafalgar!
he actually said "Kiss me Hardy or something to that effect"

Dr Izhar Khan, aberdeen, UK

Surely if Alexander the Great, the might of the then British Empire and latterly the strength of the Soviet Empire could do nothing with this Country, could somebody please tell me what the pitiful military presence the West has put there will produce?
This mission is impossible.

David Michael, Antalya, Turkey

The possibility of Britain winning this war is on par with their hope of beating the IRA...the way to go is mapped out in the NI Agreement!!!

Tom, Cork, ROI

Brits are not determined to surrender. They are determined not to follow the failed US policies.

Graham Herriott, Braintree, Uk

Our "civilized" notion of 'war' is one of army battling army, obeying certain rules, and in the end, one loses and the commander comes forward and surrenders and signs a peace treaty. The situation in Afghanistan is completely different and therefore the whole war jargon doesn't apply.

Matt, Berlin, Germany

STOP THE DRUG TRADE IN AFGHANISTAN and probably the Taliban will have to surrender or die. But how to do this when the Afghani government is also a part of this trade?
Afghanistan has become the tomb of many invaders in the past. How big army is needed to control this country, and for how long?

DAVID DASTCH, Warsaw, Poland

Has any Power,Great or Small, ever been able to hold and to rule Afghanistan? For all the USSR's manpower and weaponry and prodigality with it's mens' lives it was unable to hold the country. A political solution will have to be found.

W D Toulman, WALKINGTON East Yorkshire, United Kingdom

The British Brigadier is being realistic.
I suspect George Bush thought he would do one better than the Russians, by attacking Afghanistan. and winning there. Also, that he would do one better than Daddy, by going into Iraq. Both of these ideas were unrealistic.

margie, victoria, australia

It was vital to remove Prince Harry because this lessened the risk to our other brave troops. But, just in case some of the Taliban forget that he has gone, or suspect that he might return; should we not remind them or show some evidence that he is not there. That would maintain the original protection offered to our brave troops when his departure was publicised.

Phil Smith, Manchester, England

victory in such circumstances where you are fighting with an invisible enemy, in an area which breeds more and feeds less(on narcotic trade) where the tough people and the rough terrain are challeging, negotiation is the ultimate solution, why it is always necessary to decide winner and the loser?

Dr Umar, quetta, pakistan

Don't say that, Mr Army Chief... confidence!!!

Howard, Manchester,

Its somewhat calm in Iraq simply because the factions there are on the US payroll. Its with American taxpayer support through the avaiable financing from forgien interest buying American debt that we are able to pay them not to shoot at us or each other...Hahaha knuckleheads

KB, Planet X,

You'll never win the war. In 80s Russians have lost thousands young lives there. Why do need to step on the same rake?

Valery Bogan, Moscow, Russian

Osama bin Laden and his commanders sitting down and signing a piece of paper that says they will cease hostilities is never going to happen. But the Taliban *can* be beaten on a daily basis. Make them pay a massive price every day. Attack them relentlessly. Burn the poppy fields.

Mr. McFarlane, Bucharest, Romania

American concept of democracy cannot be imported specially in muslim countries .Nato and allies should quit this "Mission Impossible " at the earliest before the economic disaster disable them.

zaheer, hyderabad, india

So will compromising with the Taliban mean beating <i>all</i> of the gays, barbers, girls in schools <i>etc</i>. half to death; or beating <i>half</i> of the gays, barbers, girls in schools etc. completely to death?

A. Paolini, Toronto, Canada

I agree with Colin, NC, USA.
The Taliban were offered political negotiation and government settlement more than 10 years ago when they first started this. It was rejected then and will be rejected now.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing..." Edmund Burke.

Samuel, Leicester, England

A realistic assessment. So many of our political masters and Generals appear not to have learned the lessons (freely available) from our past experiences in Afghanistan. To think that you can impose even a form of Western democracy on these deeply tribal people is risible. Read your history.

Robert Bennett, Woking, UK

As the Americans should have learnt in Vietnam, supporting an unpopular, corrupt regime and bombing the locals doesn't work.

Phillip Brown, Westbury, Wiltshire

To think that the Dutch call it a peace keeping mission...

Charlotte , Deventer, Holland

At last it's dawning on the military that Afghanistan cannot be beaten by force, nor do we have any reason to attempt to beat them. We may not like their form of government, but that puts them in the same boat as most of the rest of the world -- and for sure they don't like ours.

M Clement Hall, Guelph, Canada

Defeatist or politics? Politics because Labour will not equip the armed forces with the correct tools to do the job? Defeatist because Labour have told him to pull out and this is part of the proganda which enables Labour to pull troops out without losing face?

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

The brits seem determined to surrender in this war. 1st they surrendered in Iraq and they have been surrendering in Afghanistan since 2006. Fortunately America, Iraq and Afghanistan are even more determined to win. Best if brits left both Iraq and Afghanistan. As it is, they are only in the way.

Athewel, Asadabad, Afghanistan

America, united kingdom and NATo forceses are not taking decisive action against the Taleeban or insurginces across the country how come world super power can not to beat the afew pakistan ISI worker or how come dollrs and pound can not beat the pakistany kaldar and Iranian toman suprise.

abasin, coventry, uk

The taliban can press gang and arm miilions as they need them. Therefore I would agree that any conventional war against them is futile, as our Brigadier points out.

ktanser, luton, UK

Its not possible to "win" an occupation. Eventually the foreigners have to pack up and go home. The only election that matters is the first one after the troops leave.

GregD, Boston,

bob jackson, you cant jaw jaw with someone whos sole aim in life is to blow you up. the taliban are the same as alqaeda except soley concentrated on afghanistan/pakistan.

we have to do, is provide a secure environment for afghans to live in peace/proserity, so that they dont support the taliban.

will, grimsby, uk

The same kind of people were saying the same kind of thing prior to the surge in Iraq, they were proven wrong there why not in Afghanistan?

mike, Boulder, CO, USA

I bet the Taliban commander-in-chief isn't saying ''We can't win this war.'' I know Churchill never said ''We can't win this war.'' If he had, we'd all be speaking German now. What a wuss this Brigadier is proving himself. As for the British diplomatic service, words fail me...

Terry, London, Great Britain

This has been obvious since the start. Look at the size of the country, its porous border with Pakistan, the fanatical nature of the Taliban, the lucrative poppy-based income of the locals, the corrupt nature of the local government and the tiny size of our troop contingent. Time for an exit.

Colin, shrewsbury,

All military wars end in a political understanding. No different here. The Brig is just calling it as it is.

Watch what happens in Iraq when the coalition finally leaves, and we'll be talking about the same thing.

There is never a military solution, only a political one.

S.Nevin, NY,

Of course it can't be won. Was there ever a soldier who thought it could? They were sent there by moronic politicians who don't know a rifle from a raffle.

Victor M, Cricklewood,

Ah yes, the Churchillian spirit.

"Jaw-jaw is better than war-war", was it not?

On active service, he wrote articles attacking his commanders' brutality. When Gallipoli failed, he pulled out his troops, and went straight into the front line.

Some of us here could learn a lot from him.

Bob Jackson, Christchurch, New Zealand

I would rather spend the millions spent on Iraq on heliping countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals. But stilll keep a portion of those millions to help the Afghan economy, not the war effort

Jiesheng Li, Birmingham, UK, United Kingdom

Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan can be won on military might alone, winning hearts and minds is equally important. Iraq is relatively calm because it's people want it that way and not because of any surge in USA troops.

Gabriel, Dublin, Ireland

Americans claim that they are 'winning" the war in Iraq, but the country is more unstable now than it was when they were first invaded by the US. It will be the same as Vietnam where once the US forces finally called it a day all the US gains were lost and the enemy won the war.

Davo, Auckland, New Zealand

After all the bloodshed, we then return to what should have been done in the first place. It seems humanity will never learn its lesson: all human problems are solvable through dialogue when all parties are sincere. The proliferations of military hardwares encourage misplaced bravado above reason!

Azeez Olaide, Birmingham, United Kingdom

The battle against the Taliban was lost on the playing fields of Eton? Not very Churchillian.

Jerry, seattle, usa

Sounds incredibly un-British to me, has Britian been taken over by the enemy?

Walter Matheson, Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada

The brigadier's comments and conclusions are very apt for a Britain that has gone down the tubes in the last 15 years. The Labour governments have destroyed Britain and destroyed the great morale and fighting spirit that the forces had when I served in the sixties and seventies.

TR, New York, USA

There were no Pashtus or taliban on the hijacked planes.

tom, london,

When was the last decisive victory in an insurgency? The reformation wars lasted over 50yrs. This is the reformation of islam with separation of state and religion. Staying there to prevent self appointed unelected unaccountable religious leaders control power is the victory.

Tony, Brisbane,

After it looks like we'll be winning another "un-winnable" war in Iraq, I gotta laugh when somebody else say Afghanistan can't be won. Its a fraction of the complexity of the seemingly unsolvable situation we found ourselves in up until last year. Buck up, hold fast, and keep hitting 'em!

Keith, Baltimore, USA

For the first time the comments from Marcus Tyson reminded me of Vietnam, its steady spiral of decline and the ultimate failure of the mission.
We cannot impose western style democracy across the world by force; military intervention should be seen as a breathing space for renewed nation building.

Peter Hooper, Windsor, UK

That's the Churchillian spirit...NOT.

Pathetic if that's what it's come to in the west.

Catherine, Seattle, USA

I am a novice in military strategy and history but it is sort of stupid, and irresponsible for a military commander to announce defeat in the middle of combat. That sort of cowardice should be best left to politicians. Somewhere in Bladon, Sir Winston Churchill just rolled over in his grave.

J Lee, New York, USA

All the countries who are involved in the invasion of Afghanistan, including Australia, would have been much better involved in a real war on drugs in their home countries. Growing drugs has flourished in Afghanistan during their time there.
As well, the they will not win any war there.

margie, victoria , australia

Contrast this to Lord Nelson's "Thank God I have done my duty" as he lay dying at the battle of Trafalgar!

Stephen Glover, Greenfield MA, USA

Sort of a misleading title, isn't it? Unfortunate choice of words from the general, likely in response to a loaded question. The definition of victory was never to create a Utopia, an impossibility, there or anywhere, but to establish a "stable enough" society. That's achievable.

Doug Beaton, Sanford, USA

The war is lost. The British and Americans just need to admit it. (Give it time, though. And maybe a bit more spin).

Perry Stalsis, Toronto, Canada

It's not about "backbone". ALL insurgencies, guerilla wars, are solved eventually by political means.

UNLESS, of course, you' re Russian, in which case you ban all journalists from the war zone and wipe out everyone and everything within that zone. That was how Chechnya was won. Until next time.

Benedict, Moscow, Russia

Another chamberlain

Greg, Maricopa, USA

It's a pity a few more of our so called allies don't engage more closely with the enemy.

David Ellis, Shekou, China

come on chaps its back bone time? was that your motto in vietnam?

daniel Coates, Leeds, United Kingdom

LOL.

You have to give it to the Taliban.. they managed to wear out the western military powers with nothing but zeal and courage - even with their mediocre weaponry.

The West will forever keep trying to control the world, but only a few will resist.

AK, London, UK

The war on terrorism and against the Taliban and Al Qaeda can very definitely be won . We just need to take a much more decisive and ruthless stance against our enemies in this country and abroad . We need an all - out assault on them in their Afghan - Pakistan border region safe havens .

Marcus J. Tyson , London , United Kingdom

Iran is also warning that no military solution to the insurgency in Afghanistan is available, and that economic development in connection with a negotiated settlement offers far more potential for success.

James Canning, Seattle, USA

unbelievable

M . S, London, England

War on Taliban cannot be won, says army chief.

Well nor can the war on crime. But we must fight it, or we and all we love dear are lost.

Come on chaps, it's backbone time.

Let's just do it.

Colin Miles, Charlotte, NC, USA