Winning In Afghanistan

Nation building is a dream here. Most people here live like its 700AD. Alot of them behave like it too. Too many tribes, too much hate, too much division. Our mission is to engage T-ban/AQ and destroy them. When P-stan is no longer the "safe-haven" it is now, and HVT #1, 2 or 3 are dead then we can draw down. If the PAK gov., DOES take the fight to the militants, the job of pacifying A-stan will be easier. After that, let the UN rebuild A-stan. Iam afraid there must be a US military presence in Iraq and A-stan for years to come.

I hope The President and Hillary read these comments. We need to focus our resources elsewhere. What we fighting for? What we trying to prove? What if we win? What will it be? Freedom for whom? Let them have their mountains and caves in peace. Why not create some jobs.? We need to let them have their country as long as they leave us alone. As long as we are there, we will have trouble!

US tried the War lord earlier also. It never worked. Military option is not the answer either as history has amply proved. US strategy of pushing the talibans across pakistan has done wonders to pakistan security. US alone can not resolve all the problems of the world, the earlier they accept this the better. Traditons evovled over the years are held sacred by people, its time we realize this fact and start modifying rather than chainging governments.

This article seems to be a repeat of previously discredited arguments. "They're not ready for democracy". "You're only helping the terrorists". "There's no military solution", and my personal favorite: "it's a quagmire!".

Afghani's know we're not there to occupy them, the US military acts fundamentally differently than did UK and USSR. Afghani's are not the sole ethnicity in all the world unable to govern themselves. Pakistan would be hurt much more by a premature US withdrawal which would leave emboldened extremists. We can win there just like we did in Iraq. Apparently we'll have to do so with the same misguided media and university intelligentsia dead weight. Prof. Bacevich was wrong on Iraq. He's wrong now.

I would add to this one more idea:make peace with Iran and let Iran take care of terrorist threat emitting from Afghanistan.Peace with all parties of Afghan factions and Financial and Trade Assistance Programs,such as Duty Free Access to American and EU markets for garments and other produces, such as fruits from tribal and war lord dominated areas in Afghanistan can be seen as a great bait. The tribal areas of Pakistan must also be included in the same string of beneficiary areas.

Moij Siddiqi, Bangladesh

I agree we can't do it alone. The neighbors and the int'l community has to get involved. I'd be you can have a coalition government of the different factions in a centralized locations if you could get them focused on common objectives. I don't agree that getting out now would be the best option. It would just leave a power void. Somone would have to attach Afganistan again. Just depends on who grabs power and whom they hate more.

President Obama wasted no time in giving a TV interview to an "Arabic TV network".
He has instructed his envoy to listen, and vows not to dictate.
I feel that Obama's ability to respond with energy and clarity is a source of great strength
for our future.

Suggest:
Phase One of our strategy: Unite as Americans, douse our egos.
Accept that we are ignorant of the complexities involved here, and don't know yet what is the best way forward.
This is an ancient culture we are dealing with, going all the way back to the world's first city of Uruk.
We lack understanding of each other's cultures in a big way.
Can we stop bickering, blaming and bullying each other
and work together?
I think if we can do this, we can work to improve ourselves and the whole world.

If we are not going to go all the way with this, that is denying AQ/T-ban the safe haven in the NWFP, FATA, we will be there for YEARS. Don't stop at the border, let us go ALL THE WAY. We can bomb the snot out of them coz the P-stani Army, ISI is in on it. They are the ENEMY. Let's do this and get it over with. F-ck PAKI's!!!!

everyone except anglo americans think 9-11 was done by cia and osama is their sickly agent -hence enjoying caviar and champagne and play boy bunnies as a reward for his helping hand

Al-Qaeda leader Pervez Musharaff is going to USA, to do some lobbying.

Things are going to get a lot worse for the Pakistan Army.

India was until recently willing to provide some cover for the Pakistan army which planned and executed the Mumbai massacre. The way out would have been to just expose Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists, and pretend as if the Pakistan army and ISI had nothing to do with the massacre. This is not easy anyways because LET is the jihadi wing of Pakistan army, and not an independent entity. The window for this possibility has evaporated because of the obscurantist attitude displayed by Gen Kayani so far.

India and US are now obliged to completely expose Pakistan army.

The idea was to provoke India to mobilize troops, thus enabling Pakistan army to give an excuse nott to fight Taliban on the Afghan border. India and USA worked together and have denied this opportunity to Gen Kayani.

When the dust settles, after Pakistan army is completely exposed people throughout the word- this will include the people of India and Pakistan- will realize Al-Qaeda and Pakistan army are one and the same.

Lolzzzzz that will make AFHANISTAN one of the richest state.......

I find Mr. Bacevich's position over-simplifies the situation in Afghanistan. And the difficulties of keeping track of subversive operations in the far reaches of the country in order to call in the air strikes is completely ignored. But my deepest concern is with the rusult of such a withdrawal on Pakistan. Already it appears as if there much influence being exerted by Afghan rebels on the choices being made by the Pakistani government. Does anyone really thing that this effor would diminish if the coalition pulled out? How long would it take for the rebels to take control of Pakistans nuclear capagility? And what then would be Mr. Bacefich's action...where do we sithdraw next.
Nothing would be nicer than to get the H** out of Dodge, as it were, but better to fully thing through the ramafications first...and I do not see evidence in this article of such analysis. Do the homework and then bring up the matter again when there is a full concept of all the possibilities and the probable results of each.