Wilf, you tend to think at the tactical level only.

A tactic that doesn't serve the operational plan and a operational plan that doesn't serve the strategy - that's never good, no matter how well it looks on the tactical level.
Basrah was a success. It sure didn't look like one, but the end result was a good one; moderate violence for years followed by a key event that empowered the central government. Mission accomplished. There are no marks for good looks in war.


Nukes are very relevant. They're the embodiment of deterrence.
A battalion ready to sortie is an effective deterrent against open warfare. Even sitting in the own camp and fighting only to protect camp & convoys serves a purpose. That purpose is not in what you achieve, but in what you prevent.


I tell you what's dumb: It's dumb to do the job for your protégé, leaving him completely off the hook. They sit back and let the job be done by foreigners - and enjoy getting bribed at the same time.
Let them fight themselves. They're no worse than their enemies (and much more numerous).
It's stupid to attempt to win an Afghan War by yourself. Let them fight. They have their indigenous methods that are more worth than our high tech.