[misterrob]

The Taliban is a movement that is not going to be erased from the face of the earth short of exterminating the population in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We can defeat them on the battlefield time and time again but as long as people choose to embrace this form of Islam the battle will continue for years to come.

Karzai is a weakling who has been unable to project the power that he needs to put the population under his boot. It is the only form of government that these people follow.

[oceanview]

they have an endless supply of fighters in Pakistan (and even some recruits in Afghanistan) to fuel them, so unless we bomb on the Pak side of the border, we can't eliminate them. and time is on their side.

[dgallo51]

The whole idea behind Balkanization is to never provide law and order. You give your administrator personal security, but never enough to provide security beyond a 'green zone'…the whole object is to keep the administrator totally dependent upon you for his mere survival, in return for which, he sells everything he can to pay for whatever security we will sell him. You only buy yourself headaches if you provide real security…they don't listen so well when they're secure.

[sully777]

Karzai is a weakling who has been unable to project the power that he needs to put the population under his boot. It is the only form of government that these people follow.

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The guy has the wardrobe, though. Who wears a cape except a few superheroes and Darth Vader?

[Fishrrman]

The Taliban is a movement that is not going to be erased from the face of the earth short of exterminating the population in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We can defeat them on the battlefield time and time again but as long as people choose to embrace this form of Islam the battle will continue for years to come.

If we take what you have written at face value (and I do), then what must be done if we are to ultimately defeat them?

- John