I'll fall back to my original post, that the first step in coming up with a plan for effectively dealing with any "sanctuary" is to understand that sanctuary is much more than some "ungoverned space" and to understand and deal with the specific aspects that contribute to providing the sanctuary one is concerned with.
The Taliban sanctuary issue is VERY different than the AQ sanctuary issue, though both share the same space.
If we focus on the AQ sanctuary issue, which should be our focus, my take is that it is primarily a sanctuary provided by the Taliban, and one that the Taliban can evict them from at will. Given that, the key for the US is to engage with the Taliban and see if there is a way to cut that deal. Sides deals will need to be cut with Afghanistan and Pakistan to get them to go along, but neither of those governments can deny AQ sanctuary without also working through the Taliban.
Bob
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