[voletti]

No military force in history, not even the Paki's with a 30% Pushtun military have ever operated there effectively

In history, you say?

Not so, Pre-islamic Afghanistan and FATA were part of the persian empire for long. Buddhist afghania was vandalized, brutalized, raped and killed by islam. What you see there today is what killed humanity in that land.

A steam roller, take no prisoners, kill all combatants and potential combatants policy is possibly the only one that can work against the Taliban. Ironically, that was what the USSR was doing there in the 80s.

[gandalftb]

It was a very loose part of Persia, paying tribute only to keep trade routes open. Foreign troops were garrisoned, not effectively in control. I'm referring to the Persians, Greeks, Mongols (several times), Brits, Russians, etc. The Brits had the most occupation of any military force and they got run out.

No, the Waziris and Pashtuns have never been conquered, neither have the Baloch. They've been overrun and temporarily occupied but they have always ruled themselves.