re: #107 buster

I saw pictures today of an Afghan farmer who had part of his nose and ear cut off by the Taliban, for carrying a voting card. He said he was ambushed on his way to a voting station

With an enemy this brutal, and backed by opium money, is there any way to win even with overwhelming force? I get the feeling they (the Taliban) will melt away into the hillside, for however long it takes; only to return when we reduce our forces

I think there is. Take the ground, hold it, train up the locals and provide them services. That is all a very tall order needing a hell of a lot of work and time. I doubt we are currently up for it though. And this will lead to more war, more often, more places.