[okie01]

Long-term, though....I don’t think Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, and George C. Marshall all rolled into one could make a lasting diplomatic difference in Afghanistan. The corruption, the warlordism, the double-dealing, and the general chaos of Afghanistan have very deep roots.

And, under the circumstances, there was only one way to deal with the problem:

1. Identify the tribe/faction that was the enemy -- in our case, the Taliban.

2. Set a goal of wiping them out to the last man.

3. Enlist other tribes/factions in the enterprise, paying a bounty.

4. Ruthlessly mount a campaign of extermination.

5. When complete, leave.

6. Remind the remaining tribes/factions that, should they cooperate with another enemy of the U.S., we will return and they will be subject to the Taliban's fate.

[Chgogal]

That was the America of the olden days. We are a bunch of wusses now. Everybody has to love us and if they don't it's the conservatives’ fault.