Quote Originally Posted by Ken White View Post
How do we get to the point where there is an effective Afghan government able to make and enforce such a guarantee?

What strategic targets exist within the nation that will serve even slightly as levers to sway most Afghans?
Increasingly, my sense is that the first may be unattainable. Just look next door at Pakistan - with a big Army, nukes and still unable to control large portions of its own territory). How can we expect Afghanistan to achieve what Pakistan cannot?

As to your second question, there are not many such "strategic targets" since Afghanistan remains a tribal society. There are probably "micro-strategic" targets among the various groups, but Afghanistan as a whole? Hard to identify any at this point.