Afghanistan: Sealing the deal in the "build" phase?

[MikeF]

That hasn't been my impression at all. Perhaps I let my cynical guard down in pondering this, but I have assumed (perhaps naively) that there is a larger purpose in Afghanistan beyond "helping others." We're not trying to set up a central gov't because we think it is better for the people. We're trying to do it because some decision maker(s) in our gov't think that this advances our interests.

Actually, there is some evidence in my argument of our tendacy to help others, but it depends on one's interpretation of the motives and reasoning behind the documents. Take a look, or relook, the National Security Strategies of the Bush and Clinton Administrations.

The "jist" of these documents is that our foreign policy must help others in advancing capitalism and democracy IOT ensure our own interest.

Mike