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10. “There has been significant progress in tamping down the insurgency in Afghanistan.”

9. Afghans want the US and NATO troops to stay in their country because they feel protected by them.

Fact: In a recent [pdf] poll, only 36% of Afghans said they were confident that US troops could provide security. Only 32% of Afghans now have a favorable view of the United States’ aid efforts in their country over-all .

8. The “surge” and precision air strikes are forcing the Taliban to the negotiating table.

Fact: The only truly high-ranking Taliban leader thought to have engaged in parleys with the US, Mulla Omar’s number 2, turns out to have been a fraud and a con man.

7. The US presence in Afghanistan is justified by the September 11 attacks.

Fact: In Helmand and Qandahar Provinces, a poll found that 92% of male residents had never heard of 9/11.

6. Afghans still want US troops in their country, despite their discontents.

5. The presidential elections of 2009 and the recent parliamentary elections were credible and added to the legitimacy of Afghanistan’s government.

Fact: Karzai stole his presidential election and the parliamentary elections were riddled with fraud. One fourth of the votes for parliament this fall had to be thrown out because of suspected ballot fraud, and 10 percent of victors were unseated for serious irregularities.

4. President Hamid Karzai is “a key ally” of the United States.

Fact: Karzai has repeatedly threatened to join the Taliban. He has also admitted to being on a $2 million a year retainer from Iran. All he has to do is cozy up to North Korea for a trifecta!

3. Shiite Iran is arming the hyper-Sunni, Shiite-hating Taliban in Afghanistan.

Fact: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates told Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini last February “that intelligence indicated there was little lethal material crossing the Afghanistan-Iran border.” This according to a wikileaks cable.

2. Foreigners are responsible for much of Afghanistan’s fabled corruption.

1. The US is in Afghanistan to fight al-Qaeda.