Afghanistan - Decision Point 2008

[Rank amateur]

We're nation building, so we're potential enemies with everyone who has beef with Karzai.

The Washington Post had a pretty article:

"Al-Qaeda is not a topic of conversation here," says Col. Mark Johnstone, the deputy commander of Task Force Bayonet,

I think we were told for both Afghanistan and Iraq that "the next three months", "the next six months" or "this year" will be decisive in case of both Iraq and Afghanistan wars repeatedly.

Considering the possibility of ever new opponent groups in both theaters, it looks to me as if the only really decisive thing to expect would be a withdrawal.

To an extent, I agree. It's never too late to establish population control. (Israel waited 50 years before building the majority of their fences around Palestinian populations. It seems to be working out the way they want.) I do think, however, the next president could have a huge impact in Afghanistan. We could see a lot more resources deployed there. We might even see a more successful way of dealing with Pakistan.