re: #153 avanti

The Afghans? Which ones - the Pastuns? Uzbeks? Tajiks? And that’s not counting tribal affiliations and allegiances. Taliban are Afghans - and they’re also Pakistani; it’s tribal in nature, and existed long before the modern border lines were drawn. Hektamayar is a Taliban commander and pretty much came out and said that there’d be peace if the country were turned over to him. It’s a warlord mentality, and there are plenty of Afghan warlords out there who want their power enhanced.re: #215 Killgore Trout

re: #215 Killgore Trout
During 7 years, Bush managed to prevent al Qaeda from regrouping, and had to deal with a porous border and a Pakistani government that was unable/unwilling/incapable to sustain a fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda. Now, Obama is going through the same things, but has put an end date on it - and given our enemies an idea of what we’re willing to endure before quitting.

I see it as a disastrous policy to put on the table exactly what we’re going to do and to telegraph our intentions.

You think that Russia or China or Iran isn’t watching this with bemusement knowing that they can screw with the US and know that we’re contemplating timelines and withdrawals and all the rest? They are. They’re watching and they’re waiting for their opportunities to take advantage of the US. So too is al Qaeda and the Taliban.