Exhelodrvr puts forth the following:

It is a virtual guarantee that if the U.S. leaves Afghanistan now there will be significant problems as a result. The U.S. forces there being destroyed is not realistic (short of multiple WMD attacks). We have too much air power, which could be used for resupply if necessary in that type of situation.

programmer responds with:

On your first point, you are absolutely correct. Pulling out the troops now will cause problems. I disagree with your second point. I highly recommend Bernard Fall’s book, “Hell in a very small place” (the siege of Dien Bien Phu). Granted, our air arm is far superior to the French equivalent during the siege. However, air resupply presupposes a friendly Pakistan or a friendly Russia, or perhaps a friendly China. In todays geo-political mess, I would not like to base my chow line on any of those “friendlies”. In fact, as sad as I am to say it, I would not like to base my continued existence (as a soldier) on the current administration (Mogadishu comes to mind, only worse).

In any case, my major concern is that a devastating defeat of American Armed Forces would cause most of the American voting public to curl up into the fetal position, turn the electric blanket up to 9, and start sucking their thumbs. Point, Set, Match to the Enemy.