The future with Karzai: a debate (merged thread with new title)

[Sylvan]

True on the manipulation of focus -- particularly easy today with the short attention spans and lack of historical knowledge.

The only reason Brzezinski has a forum at all is short attention spans.
The man was a disaster. That anyone listens to him at all is a mystery solved only by a decision to forget the 70s. I wish I could.

[davidbfpo]

I enjoyed reading these and did wonder why now?

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...ji_abdul_jabar

The Taliban scored another minor victory June 15 when Haji Abdul Jabar, the governor of Arghandab district, just north of Kandahar, was killed, along with his son, Kaduz, and a bodyguard, when his car was hit by a remote-controlled improvised explosive device. Jabar would appear to be just the latest of the dozens of local officials the Taliban has murdered..

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/art...in_106013.html

Yes, he is our ally!

Now Karzai wants to put a stop to "night raids" by our special operators.

Interesting statistics included.

Lovely title 'Barack Obama's Big Fat Afghan Dilemma'
http://www.time.com/time/nation/arti...997241,00.html

Which closes with:

In the end, a more punishing counterterrorism effort, rather than patient counterinsurgency, may be the best way to get the Taliban to the table. At the moment, though, the U.S.-led effort to protect the Pashtun populace in the southern provinces is proving futile and perhaps irrelevant.

[davidbfpo]

An article from the UK think tank RUSI, I suspect brought forward due to ISAF command changes. Sub-titled:[quote]While the sombre landmark of the three hundredth British death was passed this week, and the Commander has been summarily replaced, politicians and military leaders reveal divisions at the top that make everyone wonder whether the campaign is winnable.[/quote

Reasons to be optimistic is my title.

Link:http://www.rusi.org/go.php?structure...C4C231770B43C9