Excessive optimism contributed to an inability to accurately assess Afghan forces during the war.

Evidence

Military Power Is Insufficient: Learning from Failure in Afghanistan (Army University Press)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: American military reports were overly optimistic and non-critical. — Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 825; Hegseth’s assessments regarding the conflict with Iran were ‘overly optimistic’ and did not reflect battlefield realities. — US officials say Hegseth’s Iran war claims mislead public, Trump: report

Related

• Hegseth’s assessments regarding the conflict with Iran were ‘overly optimistic’ and did not reflect battlefield realities. (similarity 0.93)
• American military reports were overly optimistic and non-critical. (similarity 0.81)
• Current Pentagon rhetoric is overly optimistic and risks misinforming both the public and the president. (similarity 0.78)