they can't "hurt us" in a military sense, sure. but the battle is over the will to sustain a low level fight.
if its just an "occasional sniper" as you say, then why can't we pull out completely? certainly there enough afghan forces to stop an occassional sniper or roadside bomb.
WE can`t pull out completely yet because that create a vaccum that the terrorists would gladly fill. They and the fence sitters in Afganistan would call our leaving now as a victory, as they would in Iraq . We can`t do that.
please answer a question: I`ve studied a lot of wars and I can`t remember one with a timetable. If there ever was one, please let me know.
We need to start busting the heroin dealers, let them grow it, pay the locals, and than swoop in and take down the booty and the dealers.