Quote:
Originally Posted by ZenGum
Oh I've heard these things can be done "on the cheap"...  |
Rumsfeld is long gone.
Afghanistan (and Pakistan to a lesser extent) has never had a true central government. Rural regions are mostly on their own - autonomous regions.
Most regions did not like the Taliban. Even Iran hates them. But most regions no longer trust NATO either. Now that America reneged on promises too many times. See the end of a movie called "Charlie Wilson's War" to appreciate when trust was first poisoned. Fool me thrice ... shame on ... no way. Nobody is going to fall for it.
Worse, Karzai and his peers regard corruption as normal or essential. Not sure which. But corruption makes respect for a central government difficult as it also was in S Vietnam. Furthermore, they are playing a game of brinkmanship because they do not even know what will exist in the next years (see four paragraphs down).
To many parts of Pakistan's government, Afghanistan is an enemy. The Intercontinental Hotel bombing in Kabul was by Pakistan.
We must get out. NATO is trying to do that while minimizing the damage. Currently missing is something that must exist before going to war. An exit strategy that was, if it every existed, perverted when we all but protected bin Laden seven years ago.
Meanwhile, what is never publically discussed is necessary to have a successful exit strategy. All violence is only for getting to a peace table. Only honest leaders talk to everyone - especially the enemy. Something that extremist leaders before 2008 refused to do.
Talks started by Holbrook have been ongoing. Talks that may also explain why Karzai sometimes appears to be stabbing America in the back. When, in reality, is it part of those long ongoing negotiations. An essential exit strategy that never existed before 2008. That was not possible when diminished and foolish leaders said they must earn the right to talk to us.
The negotiations, after 2008, for an exit strategy exist. It’s just not clear how much leverage we have left. Extreme damage was done in 2003 when somebody decided that a complete lie called Mission Accomplished was more important. After 2008, an actual solution has been in the works.