Afghanistan as a weak buffer state is in the interest of the ISI, so Wrethchard’s contention that the ISI do not want the McChrystal plan to go into effect is correct.

Our military is under civilian control and so Obama’s goals are what counts. I really do not think he is concerned about a public disclosure unless it embarrasses him.

Because the farmers are only growing poppy due to the threats, both implied and direct, from your friendly neighborhood Taliban posse with the AK-47s and RPGs.

If the local Taliban warlord were to be outbid by Uncle Sugar, and local farmers sold their entire crop to the U.S., then Mullah Hackaheada or whoever is in charge this month, until the next successful REAPER strike, is out of business until they can beg, borrow, or steal money or materials to continue operations. Zakat only goes so far in Pashtun circles, and usually doesn’t include funding full-blown terrorist insurgencies in a Afghani province.

How much do you want to bet that any farmer who sold his crop to Uncle Sugar would receive a one time only educational visit from the regional Taliban warlords thugs, covering the repercussions for not selling his poppy crop to the proper buyer?

The farmers in most areas are virtual slaves to whichever armed band is able to operate effectively in their area. Throughout much of Afghanistan, those groups are the Taliban or an associated group.

We should at least consider the possibility. I’d like to know what the Powell Doctrine wrt Pakistan would have been had Musharraf not played ball after 9/11.

At the very least we should be consulting/cooperating with the Indians. Indubitably, they have some idea of what is desirable and doable. I suspect the first move is to secure or disable the nukes, but I’m not sure that’s even possible.

• He clearly lied about his plans for Afghanistan during the campaign.

• Since he was elected, he has not only refused to put forward a clear strategy for success in Afghanistan, much less victory, he has kissed the but of virtually every tinhorn Muslim Dictator and Enemy in the world.

• Before, yesterday, he hadn’t talk to his Afghan Commander McCrystal in months.

• He hasn’t even bothered to read McCrystal’s report even though he has had it over a month, and it does not apparently bother him one bit that our boys are dying in Afghanistan due to his neglect. All the while, he still has time in his “busy” schedule of partying with rappers and black celebrities to go to Copenhagen to lobby for Chicago’s hosting of the Olympics, and btw, party some more.

Whatever Buraq’s motivations, it is quite clear he has absolutely no concern for the lives of our soldiers in Afghanistan, and could care less for America’s interest’s in the region. He is a callous psychopath. Period. The only reason he makes any effort at all regarding Afghanistan is to provide some sort of public relations fig leaf to spin his lies from.

Light, agile HK groups with called-in heavy firepower is the key. Kill bad guys in Afgan. That’s all. No nation building; no hearts and minds. Not love, but fear must be inspired.

Mexican mothers still frighten their young ones with reference to the Texas Rangers.

How long? As long as we wish. Forever? Nothing is forever, but for a long, long time. As for finding troops, when I enlisted in the USMC in 1951 it was to fight . . . whomever, wherever. Surely such young men still exist. I would estimate that about 2.5-3% of the population would go just for the action.

All you folks would have to is provide funding.

I am nearly sure I will disagree, but as in other things it may be he takes the path of the pragmatic. In which case he may yet decide we have some work to do yet in that neck of the woods. Indications are there that he will not leave, especially with Iran now in full view.