My brother-in-law did two tours. His comment was that regardless of how well we prosecuted the war (and he is not a fan of the way it has been handled) nothing, absolutely nothing is going to change on the ground. They are living in medieval times, with a medieval mindset and a pre-medieval religion and most do not want change.
It is more and more obvious that we should have left immediately after the punitive expedition phase and not ever started the meals on wheels phase. So in the 2003 +/- time frame.
Yep, in Afghanistan there is no "nationality" as we know it. Most of the stone-age people who live there know, in general terms, only the boundaries of their own villages - - their own worlds. They never heard of "Afghanistan" and really couldn't care less.
You CAN change medieval mindsets. You just have to medieval methods. I just don’ think we’re willing to do it...
It’s time to execute members of the Taliban and then stuff their mouths full of bacon.
Why should they change? It is all about gender apartheid. If your ‘religion’ assures you that you can marry 15 year old girls until you’re 80 and treat your wife like a servant and like property-of course you don’t want anything to change.