Quote Originally Posted by Ken White View Post
I think your solutions are right on track and either is probably achievable.
I'm not sure they are achievable, at least not now. Even if we're willing to omit "pro-western", "democratic", and "living up to western values" from our wish list for an Afghan government, that still leaves us looking for a reasonably stable government that can actually govern. If there was a coherent leadership on the other side it might be possible to offer a deal: they keep their agenda in their country, we stay out. As of now, though, to whom would you offer the deal, and what are the chances that they can hold up their end?

Only option I see now is to suppress the insurgency to the greatest extent we can and hope that some kind of functional government emerges before the political will on our side runs out. I can't muster too much optimism over the chances of that equation working out favorably.