this:

from BW
... AND the public perception of the importance of this particular AOR in the context of the global mission-set and US interests as a whole.
Since 9/11, the political side of our ledger has been operating in non-stop crisis mode (with different pages flipping in and out depending on political posturing).

It still amazes me that there was no in-depth contingency plan to handle AQ in Astan - and that one had to be developed on the run immediately after 9/11. That was a problem caused by the political side of the ledger, not the military side (IMO).

Regards

Mike